those deities to the planets. (Those qualities are still the ones ascribed to the planets in “modern” astrology.) Finally, in the second century c.e., Ptolemy wrote his Tetrabiblos, the astrological bible, in the city of Alexandria and brought astrology into its “modern” form.

During the Middle Ages, astrology was denounced by the church and went into eclipse, though it remained popular in the islamic world and in the East. In Europe, it began to flourish in the late Middle Ages, from roughly the 13th century on, and was very popular during the Renaissance. But the rise of science toward the end of the period sent astrology into eclipse once again, and it didn’t resurface as a widely held belief until the turbulent years of the early twentieth century.

Since itsresurrection, belief in astrology has touched all segments of the population, not only in the U.S., but in Europe as well. Most of the top Nazis believed in astrology. Himmler’s astrologer, Wilhelm Wulff, even wrote a book on the subject, Zodiac and Swastika. Hitler himself, however, apparently did not believe in astrology and viewed it as merely a convenient means of manipulation.

In the U.S., a number of years ago Time magazine identified Ronald Reagan as a client of astrologer Carroll Righter, and a survey in the 1980s revealed that 15% of college undergraduates believed astrology was scientific. Today, the percentage is far higher: in 2014, a National Science Foundation (NSF) report stated that 30% of college graduates consider astrology scientific.

Among the general population, the percentage is even higher.


These 3 players reportedly failed drug tests at NFL Combine

The 2018 NFL draft went down last week and there were a few significant storylines, including several top prospects that slid in the draft for various reasons. Ahead of the draft, it was reported that former Florida wide receiver Antonio Callaway reportedly provided a diluted sample at the NFL Combine.

Callaway initially claimed he was “over-hydrated” which led to the diluted sample, but then admitted to smoking marijuana two weeks before the event. That news caused him to slide significantly in the draft.

Considered a first-round talent, Callaway was selected in the fourth round by the Cleveland Browns.

He wasn’t the only prospect to slide due to a failed drug test. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report revealed Texas corner Holton Hill alsofailed his test.

The NFL Scouting Combine is every year in late February and yet each season we have players fail the mandatory drug test in Indianapolis. NFL sources told me Holton Hill (Texas), Desmond Harrison (West Georgia) and Antonio Callaway (Florida) all failed the test. Each dropped in the draft because of it.

Hill’s fall was the worst on the day. Once considered to be a fringe first, solid second-round talent, the former Texas star went undrafted as a result of the failed test.

Hill signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings. If he can stay out of trouble, Hill is easily one of the most-talented players coming out of college this year, and could end up being the steal of the draft.

Desmond Harrison, meanwhile, signed with


the Cleveland Browns after going undrafted. Clearly John Dorsey isn’t worried about Harrison and Callaway allegedly failing their drug tests.

See inside the 2018 NFL Draft:

26PHOTOS

Inside AT&T Stadium for the 2018 NFL Draft

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Inside AT&T Stadium for the 2018 NFL Draft

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A view of the NFL Draft theater prior to the start of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell walks past a video board displaying an image of Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma after he was picked #1 overall by the Cleveland Browns during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington,Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Sam Darnold of USC gestures after being picked #3 overall by the New York Jets during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Saquon Barkley of Penn State poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #2 overall by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb is selected fifth overall by the Denver Broncos during the NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday, April 26, 2018. (Max


Faulkner/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS via Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Minkah Fitzpatrick of Alabama poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #11 overall by the Miami Dolphins during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Roquan Smith of Georgia poses after being picked #8 overall by the Chicago Bears during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Marcus Davenport of UTSA greets NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after he was picked #14 overall by the New Orleans Saints during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draftat AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Leighton Vander Esch of Boise State reacts after being picked #19 overall by the Dallas Cowboys during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: Fans start to gather prior to the first round of the NFL Draft on April 26, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. (Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A view of the NFL Draft theater prior to the start of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas.


were included; no additional inclusion or exclusion criteria other than those described in the RCT methodology were applied.^[@B5],[@B7]^

The study took place on four sequential days from November 15 to 18, 2010 in a German university hospital setting in Berlin. The 30 patients of the RCT were initially diagnosed by the study physician, expert in Ayurveda. These patients were then subjected to sequential sessions (max. 40 min duration) of Ayurvedic diagnostics performed by three more independent experts in Ayurveda. The team of experts consisted of one Indian physician who had undergone regular university education for Ayurveda in India (B.A.M.S. with 5.5 years of training plus 3 years postgraduate Ayurveda training) and conventionally educated European physicians with additional Ayurveda training (≥500 h of academic training in Ayurveda plus ≥2 years of continuous
548 So.2d 790 (1989)
NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY OF PITTSBURGH, PA, Appellant,
v.
David S. GOLDMAN, Herbert J. Frank, and Aerosonic Corporation, Appellees.
No. 88-03341.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
September 6, 1989.
Jeffrey P. Winkler of Fowler, White, Gillen, Boggs, Villareal & Banker, P.A., St. Petersburg, for appellant.
John T. Blakely of Johnson, Blakely, Pope, Boker, Ruppel & Burns, P.A., Clearwater, for appellees.
*791 FRANK, Acting Chief Judge.
The National Union Fire Insurance Co. has appealed from the nonfinal order entered in a declaratory judgment proceeding granting a motion for summary judgment filed by David Goldman and Herbert J. Frank, who are directors and officers of Aerosonic Corporation. The conflict between National Union and Goldman/Frank arises from a Directors and Officers Liability and Corporation Reimbursement policy issued in 1983 to Aerosonic by National


Union. The disputed order directs National Union to pay defense costs, as they are incurred, in a civil action in which Goldman and Frank are defendants. The trial court's order further determined that section 627.426(2), Florida Statutes (Supp. 1982) precluded National Union from raising coverage defenses. We reverse.
In 1983 National Union issued a directors and officers liability policy containing two sections  "Director and Officer Liability" and "Corporate Reimbursement." The former section provides that National Union will reimburse directors and officers only to the extent they are not indemnified by the corporate entity for "loss" occasioned by "wrongful acts" of the individuals while acting in their capacities as directors and officers of the corporate entity. The latter section provides for reimbursement of the corporate entity to the extentthat it indemnifies its directors and officers for "loss" occasioned by "wrongful acts" of individuals acting as directors and officers.
After Aerosonic purchased the policy in 1983, identical lawsuits were initiated in California against Aerosonic, Goldman and Frank by the Securities Investors Protection Corporation and Randall A. Cain. The California plaintiffs sought compensatory and punitive damages for violations of the securities laws, aiding and abetting, RICO offenses, and fraud, and alleged that Goldman and Frank acted other than as directors and officers of Aerosonic. Goldman, Frank, and Aerosonic have denied liability in the California litigation.
In 1983, while the California litigation was still pending, Aerosonic, Goldman and Frank filed the present action against National Union. In an amended complaint they sought a declaration that National Union is obligated to reimburse


must be reversed and on remand National Union's affirmative defenses must be reinstated.
National Union has also challenged the trial court's ruling that Goldman and Frank are entitled to contemporaneous payment for their expenditures in the California litigation. Although National Union's policy does not saddle the insurer with the duty or the right to conduct the insureds' defense, the definition of "loss" includes "damages, judgments, settlements, costs, charges and expenses ... incurred in the defense of actions, suits or proceedings, and appeals therefrom for which payment by the Company may be required or permitted... ." Because the California litigants have alleged that Goldman and Frank acted with dishonest purpose and in their individual capacities, substantial questions of fact remain before it can be determined whether National Union will be21% of the entering students at the Austin campus were black or Latino, a higher percentage than when the university had used race-based affirmative action.

After the high court endorsed continued affirmative action through O’Connor’s opinion, Texas university officials announced they would again give a preference to “underrepresented minorities” beyond those who were admitted under the “Top Ten” policy. In 2007, the university announced a “record high” number of entering black and Latino students, who made up about 26% of the freshman class.

In 2008, Abigail Fisher was turned down for admission to the University of Texas. Her grades were not good enough to put her in the top 10% of her class, but she said her tests and grades “exceeded those of many of the admitted minority candidates.” She


That was 8 years ago, but since then O’Connor has been replaced by Justice Samuel Alito, who is not a fan of affirmative action, and might therefore be willing to re-calibrate the evolutionary calendar. He’s joined by Justices Thomas, Scalia, Roberts, and Kennedy, so affirmative-action proponents have good reason to be worried.

Also of note, Justice Elena Kagan has already recused herself from the case, due to her time working as President Obama’s Solicitor General. The current Supreme Court schedule means opening arguments are likely to occur in October, smack-dab in the middle of a heated presidential election.

The University of Texas situation presents a perfect opportunity to re-visit affirmative action. The “top ten percent” color-blind system was producing plenty of racial diversity – more than the old, purely affirmativeSunday, April 22, 2018

Best Comic Book Movie Winner!!!!

The time has finally come to announce the winner in the Best Comic Book Movie Bracket! After a little over a month and 63 matchups filled with lots of intrigue and a few surprises, one movie has risen to the top and is ready to be crowned. So without further adieu, according to your votes, the Best Comic Book movie is....

That's right, by a margin of two votes, The Avengers takes the crown over The Dark Knight!! Congrats to The Avengers, and Marvel as a whole, which had an outstanding tournament and landed three movies in the Final Four. Thank you to all who participated by voting and reading. I hope this has been as much fun for you as it


Lisa Miller wrote an embarrassingly obsequious profile of the incredibly vulgar and aggressive anti-gun student activist David Hogg for the August 20 New York Magazine, as Hogg's 15 minutes of fame continues after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Like so many young men in so many foxholes before him, Hogg discovered in himself a powerful drive not to leave this Earth without making a mark....

Hogg understood that he was living in a historical moment. Later that evening, he shouldered past his father, who was blocking the door, and biked back to school, where he offered his eyewitness account to the first television producer he saw. The segment with Laura Ingraham aired live at 10:05 on Fox. It is remarkable to watch -- Hogg with his stoic poise,his David Byrne cheekbones and wide-set stare, his grave expression and small impatient nods of understanding, narrating the day’s atrocities....

By 6 a.m., to his parents’ astonishment, Hogg was in an ABC News van riding back to school, preparing to interview with George Stephanopoulos. Just past nine, on MSNBC, he was smoother now, more assertive and armed with facts....

And a radical star was born, to be beloved in huge profiles like this one.

Hogg was good on TV -- great, even -- and in the marathon of coverage that followed the Parkland shooting, he honed his persona. Angry, edgy, righteous, relentless, he was the warrior who would take anyone on and refused to be knocked off message. The White House called to invite him to the president’s “listening session” on


guns, and he hung up on them....

....

In June, they announced their summer plans: Along with other kids from Stoneman Douglas, they would take a bus tour across the country to register young voters. Three legs, 75 cities, two months. The parallels to 1964 and Mississippi were unmistakable.

For an anti-gun activist, he has no problem with hanging around presumably armed bodyguards.

Hogg, in fact, was frequently not on the bus but traveling separately in a black SUV accompanied by bodyguards. If he were a politician, one of the staffers told me, the intensity of interest in him would merit 24-hour Secret Service surveillance....

The NRA seems to take Hogg’s existence as an affront, having tweeted out his name and whereabouts and inciting its approximately 5 million members by perpetuating the falsehoodLatest Bond Stories

The Corriedale sheep is a breed of domestic sheep that was developed in New Zealand and Australia between 1868 and 1910 by crossbreeding the Merino sheep and Lincoln sheep. The original developer of the breed, James Little, wanted to create a sheep that could survive in areas with low rainfall and still produce long staple wool. It was named after the area on South Island in which Little developed the breed. It was introduced into the United States in 1914 and is the oldest of all crossbred...


the biggest reasons I support Sanders is that he plans on enforcing antitrust laws in the United States in order to support small farmers in the agriculture industry, which is currently dominated by large corporations. This would help create a better standard of living for families in the Eastern Coachella Valley. He also plans to invest in rebuilding infrastructure so that rural communities can gain access to services like broadband and high speed Internet expansion. Bernie seems to have a good understanding of the state that rural communities are in, the services that rural communities lack and he is committed to finding ways of addressing these challenges.”

– Araceli Beltran, 23

“A lot of youth in the Eastern Coachella Valley see college as not affordable, a shattered dream. Because ofNewcastle supporters rage as Ashley has St James' Park sign ripped off famous stadium

Mike Ashley has never been the Toon Army's favourite person but the Newcastle owner's latest stunt has sparked outrage among supporters.

Ashley announced last year that St James' Park would be renamed the Sports Direct Arena - after his company - and today a new sign was put up as the old name was ripped down.

Drivers passing the ground shouted 'disgrace' as a shame-faced worker - armed with a crowbar to prise off the letters - said: 'I don't want to do this, I should be doing this in the dark.'

End of an era: The sign is ripped off Newcastle United's famous stadium

And the workers made a sharp exit to avoid unwanted attention when a film


crew turned up to record the death of one of English football's iconic landmarks.

The home of the Magpies has been known as St James' Park since 1892 but Ashley changed the name in November.

One fan, Phil Cammish, 27, of Fenham, Newcastle, said: 'I walked past this afternoon and saw a man taking down the signs by the main entrance.

'They were using a crowbar to take each letter off. I was outraged - it will always be St James' Park to me.'

It'll take a bit of getting used to: People stop and stare at the new sign on the home of the Magpies

Newcastle planned to sell the stadium-naming rights in 2009 but reached a compromise after resistance from supporters.

Since then it has been known — although not recognised locallyBack in 2014, when Paul Davis was the Democratic nominee in the race for Kansas governor, he made a campaign video. One of the actors in it was Jeff Montague, a stage performer in Topeka.

As it turned out, Montague had a troubled past. Shortly after the video was released, the Kansas Republican Party released to the media a variety of documents showing that Montague had been suspended from Seaman High School, in Topeka, for making sexual advances toward a male exchange student. He was later banned from the Boy Scouts of America for his behavior.

As campaign scandals go, this was pretty small beer. It’s not like Montague was a member of Davis’s staff. He appeared in a cheap-ass campaign ad filled with local actors. Still, Davis pulled the


Construction has started on five more tiny homes in Cass Tiny Homes, a first-of-its-kind development on the city’s west side for low-income residents that has attracted international attention and will one day include 25 houses on two-and-a-half blocks.

The next five houses – all of which will be less than 500 square feet when finished – are being funded by the GM Foundation and some local churches. They should be finished in the next five months, though it will depend on weather, volunteers and other factors, said the Rev. Faith Fowler, executive director of Cass Community Social Services, which is spearheading the project.

“The houses will be right behind us, in a row,” said Fowler, standing on Richton Street on Monday, just west of the Lodge freeway near Elmhurst.

The firstsix houses of Cass Tiny Homes, or Tiny Homes Detroit, were finished this summer and residents moved in late August. Each house is rent-to-own over a seven-year period and rent during that period is $1 per square foot. Residents include two low-income seniors, a college student who aged out of foster care and someone who receives disability.

In the newest round of construction, GM plans to fund two houses (and a third house in the round after that). Its $135,000 commitment is part of a new initiative with Cass called Women in Motion, aimed to help women move up economically. All women volunteers from GM also will help build the houses.

“This program – working with Cass Community Social Services – is very specific,” said Lori Wingerter, chief philanthropic officer


Seamus Coleman has been chosen for the Republic of Ireland squad for the first time since he broke his leg in a World Cup qualifier against Wales last year.

Martin O'Neill has also selected Greg Cunningham, Alan Judge, and Sean Maguire in his 30-man squad for the Friendly against Turkey on Friday, March 23 in Antalya.

There are first senior call-ups for goalkeeper Kieran O'Hara, defenders Declan Rice, Darragh Lenihan, Derrick Williams and Enda Stevens.

Both O'Hara and Rice had previously trained with the squad but were never included in a match-day squad.

Also, O'Hara and Rice will also be available for the Ireland U21s in the European Championship qualifier against Azerbaijan on Tuesday, March 27 in Tallaght Stadium.

Ireland have a busy year with friendlies against the United States, France, Poland andNorthern Ireland, as well as UEFA Nations League games with Denmark and Wales.

Republic of Ireland Squad:

Goalkeepers: Rob Elliot (Newcastle United), Colin Doyle (Bradford City), Kieran O'Hara (Manchester United), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday)

Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Fulham), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Declan Rice (West Ham United), John Egan (Brentford), Shane Duffy (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), Kevin Long (Burnley), Alex Pearce (Derby County), Darragh Lenihan, Derrick Williams (Blackburn Rovers), Greg Cunningham (Preston North End), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United)

Midfielders: Alan Judge (Brentford), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), David Meyler (Hull City), Eunan O'Kane (Leeds United), Liam Kelly (Reading), Alan Browne, Daryl Horgan (Preston North End), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)

Forwards: Shane Long (Southampton), Scott Hogan (Aston Villa), Sean Maguire (Preston


Kim Wong-Shing is a staff writer at LittleThings. Her work spans beauty, wellness, pop culture, identity, food, and other topics. She is a contributing writer at NaturallyCurly, and her work has also appeared in HelloGiggles, Lifehacker, Wear Your Voice Magazine, and other outlets. She grew up in Philadelphia, attended Brown University, and is now based in New Orleans.

By all appearances, Jennifer Aniston is doing great. She’s an award-winning actress; she just starred in a new Netflix film, Dumplin’; and she has a TV role on the horizon for the first time since Friends.

But at 49 years old, she’s single and has no kids, which many people are very concerned about.

In the January issue of Elle, the actress opened up about her own thoughts on the whole marriage-and-children thing.NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds are teaming up to try to get Mike Trout and Todd Frazier elected to the 2015 All-Star Game.

Though the two New Jersey products have both put up All-Star caliber numbers this season for their respective teams, only Trout is currently in line to receive a starting nod at this year's Midsummer Classic in Cincinnati. Trout was the leading vote-getter among American League outfielders in the latest All-Star game ballot with 9,148,142 votes.

PLUS: Frazier enjoys NY but says he's 'glad to be a Red'

Frazier (4,308,446), however, trails St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter (5,504,534) by more than a million votes in the most recent National League tally.

With the All-Star Game scheduled to be played in Cincinnati, the Reds


Craftsmanship

On the subject of craftsmanship, Athene English does what craftsmen have always done – look closely to those who’ve gone before

As a word, ‘craft’ comes from the Old English cræft: "power, strength, might." It’s assumed that its usage moved to its current form through acquiring a sense of "mental power" – where ideas in the mind forge skills in the hand. As in crafts so in the word itself, its meaning having attached itself to various other thoughts: crafty - an adjective describing guile and ingenuity; to craft, crafted, a verb to describe manufacture by hand with skill, integrity and perhaps love; and a noun to describe, respectfully, a vehicle: craft, aircraft, spacecraft (generally those which need skill to make and operate). However, these days the word hasfiancée at the time of the murders, and John and Mary Abitz are Sonja's parents. The alleged conspirators eventually pled guilty to charges related to the murders.
Shackelford and Donna married in Missouri in December 1995 and the relationship ended in the summer of 1997, with the couple divorcing in November of that year. Donna accused Shackelford of raping her in July 1997, and charges were filed in 1998. In the spring of 1999, Donna developed a relationship with Fred and, on May 28, 1999, the two visited Donna's brother, Gary Fontaine, at the home Gary and Donna's daughter owned together outside of Kendrick. The morning of May 29, Donna, Fred, and Gary went to the Locust Blossom Festival in Kendrick, where they met John, Mary, and Sonja Abitz.
After


leaving the festival, Gary went to the Abitz's house, but he left around dark, returned home, noticed Donna's pickup in the driveway, and smelled smoke. Gary called the Abitz's house and reported that his two-story garage was on fire. Mary, Sonja, Ted Meske (Mary's brother), and Shackelford arrived at the fire and various individuals tried to extinguish it, but were unsuccessful.
At 7:40 p.m., Latah County Sheriff Patrol Deputy Richard Skiles was called to investigate the fire at 2168 Three Bear Road. When Skiles arrived at the scene, nearly an hour later, he observed several personsincluding Gary Fontaine, Mary Abitz, Sonja Abitz, Brian Abitz (Sonja's brother), Ted Meske, and Shackelfordstanding near the garage that was completely engulfed in flames. Based upon information obtained from Ted and Shackelford, Deputy Skilescontacted dispatch to have an on-call detective sent "because there was a possibility there could be a suicide victim in the fire." By the time the fire department arrived, the garage had been utterly destroyed. Several hours later, after the fire had been extinguished, two bodies were found in the rubble. The bodies were subsequently identified as the remains of Donna and Fred. At trial, a state fire investigator testified as to his opinion that the fire was arson.
Doctor Robert Cihak conducted autopsies of the remains, which were severely burned. Shotgun pellets were found in Donna's right chest region and a bullet was found in the back of her neck. Dr. Cihak opined that the bullet wound was fatal and was inflicted when Donna was still alive. A


bullet was also found in Fred's body behind the upper breastbone, which Dr. Cihak concluded was the cause of death. Dr. Cihak offered his opinion that Donna and Fred were dead at the time of the fire.
Shackelford was indicted on February 11, 2000, and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree arson, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit arson, and preparing false evidence. Trial began on October 16, 2000, and concluded December 22, 2000. The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts charged in the Indictment. Sentencing commenced on August 27, 2001, and, on October 25, 2001, the district court read its Findings of the Court in Considering Death Penalty. As to Donna's murder, the court found that the State had proven beyond a reasonableto statements Shackelford made regarding his desire to kill Donna. Donna's friend, Suzanne Ninichuck, testified as to two conversations she had with Shackelford in the summer of 1997:
A. [Shackelford] said that Donna was an ugly person and that he was going to destroy her. He was going to destroy her financially, he was going to destroy her professionally. That he was going to destroy her relationships with every friend and every family member and thathe said that sheoh, he said that she had abandoned him up on the mountain.
Q. What mountain?
A. The mountain by their Idaho property. And that she knew that was the worst thing that anybody could do to him was abandon him. And that she deserved she deserved to die. She deserved to be ruined....

*594


He said that hehe loved her very much. He wasbut he couldn't live with her. And that sheshe was a controlling person, she manipulated people. Thathe said he was going to kill her.
....
And that heat that point in time he said, he could kill her and make it look like an accident. And at that time he was driving a truck and he said he could justhe wouldhe could find her with the truck and kill her with the truck and he could make it look like an accident....
He said ifhe said he loved Donna very passionately and there was no other woman that he would ever love as much as Donna, but he couldn't live with her and if he couldn't live with her nobody would liveto tackle me and I would get off on an insanity plea, which he would pay for the defense.
Q. When he told her to shoot her, did he use an analogy?
A. Shoot her like a dog.
Q. So then what happened on Monday, October 5th, 1998?
A. I asked Helen to drop me off in town.... She dropped me off by the courthouse, I walked up past Donna's office on the opposite side. I crossed the street and she came walking out of her office.
Q. Were you wearing your fanny pack?
A. Oh, yes.
Q. What was in it?
A. My gun.
....
Q. Alright. What happened when she came out of her office?
A. She went to the courthouse. She went into the courthouse, she came back out. She went over to the post office.


I followed her to the post office. She came out of the post office and I walked right past her, fanny pack opened, hand on the gun getting ready to pull it out and shoot her, walked right past her.
Q. Why?
A. Because I couldn't do it.
Millar further testified that in April 1999 Shackelford made a bomb to be used in another attempt on Donna's life:
Q. ... When [Shackelford] talked to you on the telephone in April of 1999 about having made a bomb, what did he tell you?
A. He had told me that he had made a bomb and that he had asked Bernadette Lasater to take the bomb to the Caldonia, Missouri laundromat and she was to blow Donna.
Q. ... did he tell you whether it workedwhat I couldn't get anybody to do."
Bernadette Lasater testified that she met Shackelford in December 1998 and began a romantic relationship with him in February 1999, at which point he also began talking to her about having Donna killed:
Q. As the relationship progressed in March and April of 1999, did [Shackelford] make any statements to you more specifically aboutabout what he wanted to happen with regard to his ex-wife?
A. He said he would want her to be killed because ofas long as she was alive, she would continually try to control his life. He would never be able to have a happy marriage or be happy, and if she was dead, he can have the happiness that he wanted.
....
Q. Okay. And what did he say?
A. He said in


anything else that was upsetting?
A. Yes. He saidhe asked me the question if I had two bodies to get rid of, how would I do it.
Katherine Baker, PJ Baker's wife, also testified that, on the day of the fire, Shackelford came to their house and asked her what they had for lunch, and then stated "don't worry, you won't be hurt by any of this."
In light of the extensive testimony of the State's witnesses, as well as evidence regarding the times of the deaths, the manner in which the victims were shot, the setting of the fire, and further testimony regarding Shackelford's actions on the day of the deaths, Shackelford has failed to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the error associated with the admission of testimony regardinghad been "peer review[ed]." In his post-conviction claims, Shackelford contended that the State withheld exculpatory evidence by failing to disclose the peer review notes of Dr. John Howard. However, as the district court found below, Shackelford was provided with the notes of Dr. Howard but was not provided with the abstracts that accompanied the notes, which consisted of several scientific articles questioning the validity of determining a victim's time of death based upon stomach content. As the court pointed out, the abstracts came from medical journals that were generally available and did not contradict Dr. Cihak's testimony that he could offer only a "guesstimate" of the time of death.
On appeal, Shackelford's only statement regarding the notes of Dr. Howard is as follows: "The State failed to disclose material


(CNN) The flu vaccine may have an important benefit beyond protecting against influenza: It may also prevent heart attacks, especially in those at high risk, experts say.

"It's been a long time that people have recognized that association with flu season and development of a heart attack," said Dr. Kevin Schwartz , an infectious disease physician at Public Health Ontario.

When it comes to preventing heart attacks in people with cardiovascular problems, experts have put getting the flu vaccine on par with long-term measures such as quitting smoking or taking one's medication for high blood pressure.

Doctors don't fully understand what about the flu might lead to heart attacks in some people. But Schwartz said it could be a combination of inflammation, an increased risk of clotting in the blood anda means of preventing a heart problem."

Dr. Anne Schuchat, acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has described the United States as having "a very difficult season" marked by deaths and hospitalizations nationwide.

Schwartz said it's not just the US that's been hit with a particularly bad flu season; Canada has had a bump in flu cases, as well. Other regions, like parts of Europe and Hong Kong , have also reported a flurry of flu activity.

Last month, Schwartz and his colleagues in Canada published a study showing that heart attack risk was six times greater within a week of testing positive for the flu. The authors note that they studied only people who were sick enough to come to the doctor and get tested.


Former Roeland Park Linda Mau seeks censure of councilwoman

Former Roeland Park mayoral candidate Linda Mau for the first time publicly accused a city councilwoman of sending an anonymous flier in hopes of derailing her election.

On Monday, Mau — a 28-year resident of Roeland Park and a candidate for mayor last month — asked the Roeland Park City Council to censure Councilwoman Megan England.

Mau read a letter to the City Council accusing England of sending out an anonymous flier about Mau just days before the April election.

“The mailer was sent not only to cost me the election but to personally destroy me,” Mau said. “There is a surveillance tape of the person dropping off the flier for production and the same person picking up the flier and paying forThe author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

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When I started high school in the mid-90s, the Internet was just beginning to boom. It was as amazingly exciting as it was amazingly mysterious. It was hard to describe, and even harder to ignore. This curiosity led me to learn HTML on my own and endlessly explore ways in which I could be a part of this new virtual playground.

One day while browsing around, I came across Netflix, the world's first and largest online DVD rental store. It seemed like a great idea at the time, so I looked for a similar online DVD rental service in Canada. Nothing.

I


figured that we Canadians like a lot of the same things Americans do, including food, fashion, music and, of course, movies. Armed with my gut instinct and some seed money from my father, I launched Canada's first online DVD rental store from home in my junior year of high school. From managing the website's design and development, to identifying strategic partnerships online and offline, to individually responding to hundreds of customer service emails, I was truly in the thick of an entrepreneurial endeavor. The venture was indeed successful, and right before I started college, we sold the business -- exactly 10 years ago. The lessons learned and insights gained from this experience were both timeless and priceless. Surely, a mastery of the digital world was my destiny, right?a unique marriage of interests developed since high school. Alongside this position, I regularly blog on international affairs and social change for The Huffington Post and Forbes, and frequently interview global leaders, such as the White House's Valerie Jarrett on the advancement of women and girls, and Drew Faust, the President of Harvard, on higher education in the 21st century. And last but not least, along with a former colleague from Harvard's Kennedy School, we're moving at full speed to develop a global reality-TV show to highlight social entrepreneurs struggling to change the world.

The point is, do not be afraid to pursue multiple dreams and multiple passions.

Reflecting on the last five years since I graduated from the University of Western Ontario, I wanted to share a few secrets


Research Organization, which attempted to calculate where debris that has washed ashore on coastlines in the western Indian Ocean originated. Chester said that drift modeling would continue, and experts will scrutinize any further debris that washes up. Investigators will also continue to refine the satellite data that led them to conclude the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

Many relatives of those lost on the plane, which vanished on March 8, 2014, during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, responded to the announcement that the search was over with outrage. A support group, Voice 370, issued a statement saying that extending the search is "an inescapable duty owed to the flying public."

Without understanding what happened to the plane, there's a "goodchance that this could happen in the future," said K.S. Narendran, a member of the group.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he empathized with the families, but said search officials had done the best they could under extraordinary circumstances.

"We share their deep disappointment that the plane has not been found," Turnbull told reporters. "It is an unprecedented search. It's been conducted with the best advice over the areas that were identified as the most likely to find the location of the airplane. It is a shocking tragedy and we grieve and we deeply regret the loss and we deeply regret that the plane has not been found."

Tony Abbott, who was Australia's prime minister when the Boeing 777 disappeared, suggested the search should continue. Abbott pledged on the first


anniversary of the tragedy: "It can't go on forever, but as long as there are reasonable leads, the search will go on." On Tuesday, he tweeted: "Disappointed that the search for MH370 has been called off. Especially if some experts think there are better places to look."

Chester said he understood Abbott's feelings, given his involvement in the early phases of the hunt.

"The experts who have been working on this project, this has consumed their life for the best part of three years. This is a disappointing and frustrating day for them as well," Chester said. "I understand that former Prime Minister Abbott has some concerns as well. He is entitled to express those opinions but it is not a decision that was reached lightly by the three governmentsin the Southern Hemisphere at all.

Then, in July 2015, came the first proof that the plane was indeed in the Indian Ocean: A wing flap from the aircraft was found on Reunion Island, east of Madagascar. More than 20 pieces of debris confirmed or believed likely to have come from the aircraft have since washed ashore. But while the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage — and its crucial black box data recorders — remains stubbornly elusive.

If the plane is never found, the reasons for its disappearance and crash will probably never be known, though Malaysia has said the plane's erratic movements after takeoff were consistent with deliberate actions.

The sister of the pilot, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah,


arrhythmias, syncope, increased right ventricular volume, and the production of proinflammatory cytokines leading to atherosclerotic development, have also been expected by chronically using some types of SSRIs.

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There are no conflicts of interest.

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MHN contributed in the conception and design of the work, approval of the final version of the manuscript, and agreed for all aspects of the workAE contributed in the conception and design of the work, approval of the final version of the manuscript, and agreed for all aspects of the workMV conducting the study, revising the draft, approval of the final version of the manuscript, and agreed for all aspects of the workSA contributed in the conception of the work, revising the draft, and agreed for all aspectsPolish central bank controversy latest hit for ruling party Poland's central bank is being criticized after it revealed that its head of public relations earns an unusually high salary that eclipses those of the institution's top banking experts

WARSAW, Poland -- Poland's central bank revealed Wednesday that its head of public relations earns an unusually high salary, the latest embarrassment for the ruling right-wing party, which says it is focused on serving the country, not making money.

The controversy around the state-backed central bank comes at a sensitive time of political campaigning ahead of the May elections to the European Parliament and to the national parliament in the fall.

The National Bank of Poland was obliged to publish the 2018 earnings of department directors by a new law. The law was


adopted in response to media reports that the salary of the head of PR, who is also a close aide to bank President Adam Glapinski, was surprisingly high.

The PR head earned almost 50,000 zlotys ($13,065) a month in 2018, more than any other department head in the bank. The national monthly average is some 4,500 zlotys.

In another recent setback for the ruling Law and Justice party, its leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, is facing allegations he solicited a bribe and taken part in business negotiations, in violation of the law.Studio Paradiso (San Francisco, CA)

May 31, 2013

The days and the years go down the drain so quickly. This is tragic and it is what Baltimore's All Time Low are constantly fighting against. They'll burn through their nights to wage those battles. They'll insist on being held captive by the moment for as long as they can sweet talk and string it along. They still see that, no matter what they do, the moon dies and the sun rises as an infuriating crescendo every damned day.

The days and the years go down the drain so quickly. This is tragic and it is what Baltimore's All Time Low are constantly fighting against. They'll burn through their nights to wage those battles. They'll insist on being held captive by the moment


a sad state of affairs for any country; especially one which refers to itself as the land of the free.

Despite the explosive expansion of government to fight the war on drugs, drug use is more prevalent today than it was before the war on drugs started. Additionally, drugs are cheaper, more potent and easier to get than they were in the early years of the drug war 14. Throwing more money at the issue has not resulted in fewer people using drugs. Even the federal government admits drug use has increased recently from 6% in 1993 to over 8% in 2003 15. Despite the frantically increasing efforts to curb the flow of drugs, high school students report drugs are still easy to obtain. Almost 90% of twelfth gradersConstitution to grant power to congress to prohibit the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcohol. Their drug war played out just like ours; a complete and total disaster. However, it was the best thing that ever happened to organized crime. The manufacture, sale and distribution of alcohol 22 were conducted entirely in illegal and violent markets. Criminals prospered and criminal organizations grew. A major crime wave began in the 1920s and continually increased until the end of prohibition in 1933 when it immediately started to reverse 23. Prohibition did nothing to curb the desire of people to use alcohol. Indeed, both the per capita consumption of alcohol as well as the rate of alcoholism increased during prohibition. 24 25 Illegal clandestine stills manufactured alcohol of inconsistent and unpredictable


causing 435,000 deaths 35. Deaths resulting from the direct or indirect use of all illegal drugs including meth, cocaine, OxyContin, heroine and ecstasy for the same year total 17,000. id. 36 37 Despite the fact that tobacco is legal, tobacco use is declining. In 1956, 42% of adults smoked. In 1980, only 33% of Americans smoked. Additionally, in 1977, 29% of high school seniors smoked. Four years later, the number of high school seniors who smoke had fallen to 20% 38. Education about the dangers of tobacco use can be credited for the decline of tobacco use which occurred while the drug was legally available and without any of the crime and violence associated with the drug war. The recent rise in popularity of non-alcoholic beer and lowrue Foyatier steps (famous from the Brassai Montmartre photographs) or for the cost of a Métro ticket, take the funicular up from the Anvers Métro stop (included in the cost of a Navigo transit pass). After you’ve soaked up the view and visited the basilica, walk through Montmartre’s winding streets and stop in one of its countless cafés or restaurants that ring the famous artists at Place du Tertre. Then head down rue Lepic to make your way down a (steep) hill.

Address: 35, rue de Chevalier-de-la-Barre, Paris 18th

Métro: Line 2, Anvers (follow signs to funicular up to basilica); Line 12, Abbesses

Bus: Lines 30, 31, 80, 85

Hours: Open daily from 6am-10:30pm

Admission: Free for most; 5€ for extended tour of dome and crypt with the Sacred Heart

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible by


tower, cross the river to Trocadéro.

Address: 5, avenue Anatole France, Paris 7th

Métro: Line 8, Bir-Hakeim; Line 6, Ecole Militaire (best view from opposite the Seine: line 9, Trocadéro)

RER: Line C, Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel

Bus: 42, 69, 82, 87

Hours: Open daily 9am-midnight June 17th-Aug 28th and 9:30am-11pm the rest of the year.

Admission: 2nd floor admission begins at €4,70, and admission to the top begins at €13,40.

Accessibility: The first and second landings are wheelchair accessible by elevator.

5. Centre Pompidou: This modern structure contains an impressive modern art collection and their temporary exhibitions change frequently. The giants of 20th century modern art are represented in the permanent collection: Chagall, Kandinsky, Miro, Mondrian, Picasso and more. The National Museum of Art, Center of Industrial Design, Contemporary Music Institute, Library, Brancusi Studio andNestled in the 7th arrondissement, this chapel where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared. It may not be as well-known as other Parisian religious sites but is well worth the visit.

Address: 140, rue du Bac, Paris 7th

Métro: Lines 10 & 12, Sèvres–Babylone

RER: Line C, Musée d’Orsay

Bus: 39, 63, 70, 84, 87, 94

Hours: Open daily 9am-7pm

Admission: Free

Accessibility: Wheelchair accommodations available upon request.

9. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle: Both a top-notch museum of the natural world and a first-class research facility, the museum’s massive campus borders the Mosque of Paris, Gare d’Austerlitz and the Seine. Featured exhibits include dinosaurs, evolution and marine biology. Its accompanying gardens are worth the trip themselves.

Address: 36, Rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, Paris 5th

Métro: Line 7, Jussieu; Lines 5 & 10, Gare d’Austerlitz

RER: Line C, Gare


U.S. yield curve seen even flatter under a Powell-led Fed

NEW YORK (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s nomination of Jerome Powell as the next Federal Reserve chair on Thursday was greeted with a potentially ominous signal from the bond market: the U.S. Treasury yield curve flattened.

Trump formally confirmed his selection of Powell, a 64-year-old Fed board governor and former investment banker to succeed current Fed Chair Janet Yellen whose term expires in February.

The shape of the Treasury yield curve, which plots the yields of the various debt securities issued by the U.S. government, often reflects investors’ perceptions of the health of the economy and the outlook for inflation.

A steeper curve, when long-term yields rise relative to shorter-dated yields, typically augurs brisker economic growth and inflation. A flatter one, whenPat Butcher wrote the following piece about the late Alan Turing, and how attitudes at the time pushed Turing to suicide. The original piece can be found at http://www.globerunner.org/blog/?p=246 .

Even lesser known about Alan Turing was that he was a national class distance runner. Turing finished fifth in the 1948 British Olympic marathon Trials, held in Loughborough. Turing used running to clear his head from his work in mathematics, he told friends.

Alan Turing is considered by many to be the father of the modern computer. Unknown to many though, was his contribution, described as major by several historians, in breaking the Enigma code, used by the Germans in World War 2 to communicate to German Wermacht, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe. All top secret German memorandums were transmitted using Enigma


intelligence (AI) is still known as the Turing Test, as yet unachieved, when a human can ‘converse’ with a computer and be unable to tell that it is a machine. In recent years, there has been the gradual revelation of Turing’s huge contribution to the cracking of the German Enigma code, believed to have shortened the second world war.

What is far less known about Turing is that he was an avid long-distance runner, and finished fifth in the AAA Marathon Championships, the British trial race for the Olympic Games in London in 1948.

Following an oblique reference ten years ago to Turing’s extra-curricular interest, ie running, in an agency story, I wrote the following (abridged) piece for the Financial Times. The pictures were supplied by JF ‘Peter’ Harding, secretaryof Walton AC, for whom Turing competed with distinction.

History abounds with examples of prominent figures who early in their careers excelled in the sports arena. Earl Alexander of Tunis, victorious British wartime commander of the North African campaign, won the Irish mile title. Urjo Kekkonen, long-time Finnish President was a national high jump champion. Crooner Johnny Mathis was a US Olympic high jump hopeful in the mid-1950s; and long before landing on the moon, Buzz Aldrin was shooting into space as one of America’s leading pole vaulters. And there are scores more.

But Alan Turing, the Briton who was ‘father’ of the computer, and the man chiefly responsible for cracking the Germans’ Enigma code in the second world war, did it the other way round. He became a national


class distance runner in his mid-thirties, when he had already made his mark as a mathematical genius.

Although exceptional individuals like Turing are often drawn to physical exercise to escape their deeply intellectual work, few turn out as good at their sport as he did. Turing almost made the British Olympic team in 1948. Yet, given the weight of his extraordinary legacy, coupled with his cruel end - suicide, very likely linked to his homosexuality - it is hardly surprising that his brief athletics career has been largely forgotten.

Turing had run occasionally as a schoolboy at Sherborne in Dorset in the mid-1920s. During his undergraduate years in Cambridge, he forsook running for rowing, but when he became a fellow at King’s College, he resumed running, sometimes venturing as faras Ely and back - more than 30 miles.

Turing got the idea for computable numbers and the Turing machine, forerunner of the computer while resting in a field at Grantchester during one of his long summer runs from King’s. With the outbreak of war, he joined the Bletchley Park code-breaking centre, near Milton Keynes. He cycled a lot and took the occasional run. But only after the war, when he was transferred to the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) at Teddington in west London, did he become a competitive runner.

It was while he was working at Teddington and almost bumped into JF ‘Peter’ Harding, secretary of nearby Walton AC, that Turing was persuaded to join. “We heard him rather than saw him,” recalls Harding, now in his 70s.”He made


a terrible grunting noise when he was running, but before we could say anything to him, he was past us like a shot out of a gun. A couple of nights later, we kept up with him long enough to ask who he ran for. When he said nobody, we invited him to join Walton. He did, and immediately became our best runner."

“He was very popular with the boys, but he wasn’t one of them,” says Harding. “He was a strange character, a very reserved sort, but he mixed in with everyone quite well; he was even a member of our committee. We had no idea what he did, and what a great man he was. We didn’t realize it until all the Enigma business came out. Wespirit. We booked a show at the Prince of Wales’ theatre. We all went up there and had a meal, and went to the show after wards. There were dancing girls…of course, the boys in the club, their eyes were bobbling out of their heads; they were all young lads. I looked across at Alan, and he was asleep”.

In a letter to a friend, Turing said of his running, ‘This is a form of compensation for not having been good at games at school’. But Harding says Turing gave him a further reason. “I asked him once why he punished himself so much in training. He told me, ‘I have such a stressful job that the only way I can get it out of my mind is by


running hard, it’s the only way I can get some release’”.

Turing came close to representing Britain in the marathon at the 1948 Olympics. With three places open, he finished fifth in the qualifying race, the AAA Championships at Loughborough the previous year. His best time of two hours, forty six minutes and three seconds was just over 11 minutes slower than the eventual Olympic winner in an era when the marathon was far less popular than today, and when 10-minute gaps between top finishers were not uncommon.

Shortly afterwards, Turing moved to a post at Manchester University where his running and mood swings prompted Lyn Irvine, the writer wife of his head of department to refer to him as ‘Mercury’. Turing’s end was less than glorious. In 1952, hewas arrested and put on trial for a homosexual relationship - a criminal offence at the time. To avoid going to prison, he had to submit to hormone treatment, and kept under surveillance. Two years later he was dead - having eaten an apple dipped in cyanide.

Following news of Prime Minister Brown’s apology last week for the ‘appalling treatment’ of Turing, Stephen Keynes, a younger contemporary at Cambridge University paid this lovely radio tribute to Turing.

“His real passion in life, apart from the computer was to run in the Olympic Games, in the marathon. I was probably 20 at the time, but I sometimes felt a lot older, because he had this extraordinary naivety, like a 15 year old…. he bounced when he talked, (he had) tremendous enthusiasm.

“His


Photographer Éric Lafforgue has spent years traveling the world to shoot documentary photos for well-known publications. He was even given rare access to North Korea, where he shot thousands of photos showing citizens and government officials going about their daily lives.

After his 6th trip to the country in September 2012, however, Lafforgue was banned by the government for the photos he was sharing online.

Lafforgue wanted to show the reality of life in North Korea, so he smuggled unapproved photos out of the communist country on hidden memory cards. An example would be the photo above, which is illegal because North Korea doesn’t allow outsiders to photograph its army.

After the government discovered the photos online, officials confronted Lafforgue and demanded that he delete the images. The photographer refused, andto see time at shortstop and third base as well as second. In 2017, there were 14 men who played 20 games at both middle infield positions. Another 16 players appeared in 20+ games at both second and third.

Catchers are more specialized, of course. Only three players in 2017 spent at least 20 games at catcher and one other position: Buster Posey (first base), Chris Herrmann (left field), and Austin Barnes (second base).

The catcher/second base combination is exceedingly rare. The most famous ballplayer to play both positions was Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. The Astros legend broke into the majors as a catcher and spent his first 4 seasons behind the plate, collecting a Silver Slugger and an All-Star appearance. Then he moved to the keystone and played


Mohammed Mansoor Khan had an elaborate plan of cheating poor people of Karnataka and other neighbouring states with his Ponzi scheme as a forefront for his other businesses.

Khan, who has fled to the UAE, had received the visa on May 5 through METT Travels. He safely shifted his family - his wife and two children - to Dubai before his little escape and acquired nearly Rs 20 crore from the directors of I Monetary Advisory (IMA).

It is alleged that Khan was backed by some powerful politicians and administrative authorities, and without their help, he could never have made such a huge scam running hassle-free for years.

According to a TOI report, a Karnataka minister aggressively lobbied for a Rs 600 crore bailout for Khan. It is alleged that Khanhad visited the minister's office in Vidhana Soudha with a prominent Muslim politician in May.

The report claims that Khan had approached a bank earlier this year for a big loan. But since the Revenue Department had issued a lookout notice against IMA, the bank demanded a no-objection certificate (NOC). Khan, who had his deep contacts with the higher authorities, obtained the NOC with the help of the minister.

But Khan was unable to fulfil the NOC request as it was rejected by an IAS official. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) had summoned Khan for questioning following the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) update on IMA's functioning. He was interrogated after DG and IGP Neelamani Raju called for an enquiry over the fraudulent schemes run by IMA.

On June 6, Khan


little shocking to discover how many relevant women are missing from Wikipedia. Amongst the pages we created was one about Hortensia, a late Roman Republic orator and one of the very few women who at that time challenged men’s authority by giving a speech in the Forum. She lived during the civil war that took place after Julius Caesar’s assasination, a period when the Roman Republic was struggling with many war expenses. Hortensia debated in the Roman Forum against a tax imposed on wealthy Roman women, arguing that it was not legitimate to demand that women’s properties finance a war in which they had no active role. Eventually the number of women affected by the tax was reduced.

As one can imagine, we study a lot of Ancient Romanhistory in Italy. Latin literature and language are also compulsory teachings in some secondary schools. But Hortensia’s page, already in other language versions, was not yet on Italian Wikipedia.

Beside the creation of content on Wikipedia, the editathon was also an occasion to put together and share the different skills and competencies of the organizers. The team was composed of Virginia Gentilini, Wikimedia Italia member Ginevra Sanvitale and Commons and Italian Wikipedia sysop Elitre, who worked together, each one according to her area of expertise. We also had a chance to learn and confront a number of related Wikimedia topics.

Finally, the role played by Salaborsa as a center of cultural creation and knowledge circulation was very important.

In 2012, Wikimedia Italia reached out to Italian librarians and libraries for the


Wolves signed Afobe for the second time this year when exercising a £10million option following last season's loan spell in which the 25-year-old scored six goals and helped Nuno Espirito Santo's team win promotion.

However just 10 days later Afobe was sold to Championship side Stoke City in a £12m deal. He's on loan at the bet365 Stadium until January when the Potters have an obligation to pay.

In the surface it looks like all parties could have been aware of what was about to happen when Wolves signed Afobe on June 1.

Afobe though says Wolves made him believe he was part of their plans this season.

"It was disrespectful," Afobe told the Sun. "I've got a baby daughter and a heavily pregnant wife. The last thing we needed was toPac-12 membership boosts U's spending, budgets

School strives to match elite cohorts in sports and beyond

A few years ago, the University of Michigan wouldn't pick up the phone when University of Utah Athletic Director Chris Hill would call. The Wolverines, which have the largest football stadium and one of the most storied college football programs in the land, wouldn't even return Hill's messages.

"There is absolutely zero possibility of Michigan coming to play at the University of Utah five years ago," Hill says. "Zero."

A lot has changed since then for Hill and the University of Utah. The school is now four years into its relationship with the Pac-12 Conference. And, next year, none other than the Michigan Wolverines are going to visit Rice-Eccles Stadium for a game of pigskin.

"I think


there's a real halo effect by being in the Pac-12," says Fred C. Esplin, vice president of university relations. "If your peers are Stanford and USC and Cal and Washington and these folks, it makes a difference."

There is little question that the U's 2010 admittance into the Pac-12 has afforded it the opportunity to play more high-profile teams. The U now faces off against USC, UCLA, Stanford and Oregon instead of Wyoming, New Mexico, San Diego State and Air Force. Long-time rivalries against BYU and Utah State have also been jettisoned, at least temporarily. The decision not to play Utah State during the 2014 football season cost the U $500,000.

Pac-12 membership also brings with it the perception that, now that the school is part of a big-time club,it must somehow keep up with the other members of that club in what it offers to students, administrators and alumni, whether that's new buildings or more rigorous academic standards. Esplin says he refers to this as being "Pac-12 ready."

The easiest way to gauge this is through the size of the U's bank account. In 2006, the U unveiled a capital campaign called "Together We Reach." During the nine years of the campaign, which concluded this year, the U raised $1.65 billion. In 2008, 61,998 individuals contributed to the campaign. In 2014, 134,469 donors gave money.

Esplin says that from the moment the U became a Pac-12 member, giving shot through the roof.

"There's no question at all in my mind that joining the Pac-12 really helped that," Esplin says.


"It is very, very clear that the pride the alumni feel, not just the fans, not just athletic fans, what the alumni feel for the university, was enhanced because of that."

University administrators say that simply by being associated with the likes of Stanford and UC Berkeley, the University of Utah has, and will continue to, become a more distinguished institution in all aspects.

Ruth Watkins, vice president of academic affairs, says the U has been able to recruit great academic talent in recent years "in all seriousness, because we're a Pac-12 school."

Watkins says the U, even when it was a member of the Mountain West Conference, was ahead of several of its peer institutions in categories like research. But in the ever-growing competitive world of academia, being a memberof the Pac-12 can cast a tangible spell upon would-be faculty.

"It's very, very positive for the institution," she says. "What I can tell you is that it gets us into a little different dialogue and conversation among big players in the country."

The U's athletic teams now play big-time California teams USC, UCLA, Stanford and Berkeley on a regular basis, and often on national television. Herein lies the academic importance, perhaps, of being associated with a prominent athletic league: At three different student-recruiting events in California last year, Watkins says, she heard from many students that the U's Pac-12 membership was important to them.

Watkins says Pac-12 membership, at least partly, has also enabled the U's student body to diversify. School statistics show that in 2013, the percentage of freshman


students from the United States who were minorities was 29 percent, up from 18 percent in 2008. Similar rises were seen in freshman from states other than Utah, with the number jumping to 25 percent in 2013 from 18 percent in 2008.

The campus landscape itself has seen the effects of the U's efforts to become more distinguished. During the Together We Reach campaign, 37 construction projects either commenced or were concluded on campus to the tune of $1.5 billion. A handful of these were new and improved athletic facilities, including a $30 million football center, $1.8 million strength and conditioning center and a $23 million basketball center.

Since entering the Pac-12, interest in athletics, especially football, has grown. In 2008, the football team generated $16.4 million in revenue, partlyit raked in three-quarters of the total; this year, and going forward, it will receive the full allotment—roughly $18 million. If Utah had remained in the Mountain West Conference, it would be receiving around $4 million in television revenue.

Since college football players still don't get paid, the largest benefactor of this Pac-12 cash has been head football coach Kyle Whittingham, Utah's highest paid public employee. In 2008, Whittingham's base salary was $200,000, and he reaped $270,000 from money the school made on broadcasting and television contracts. When his contract was extended in 2011, Whittingham's base salary was jacked up to $440,000, with broadcasting money leaping to $470,000. Over the duration of his contract, Whittingham also gets $605,000 for speaking engagements and for participating in fundraising activities.

But the real


dough flows when Whittingham's team plays well. When the Utes recently broke into the Associated Press' Top 25 poll, Whittingham got a $10,000 bonus. If the Utes finish the season ranked in a poll, he'll take home $50,000. If the Utes participate in a bowl playoff game, he receives $200,000. And if the Utes win one of these bowl games, the coach gets an additional $100,000. For a lowlier bowl, Whittingham gets two months' base salary, and for being named national coach of the year, as he was in 2008, he receives $75,000.

All of this talk about money brings the conversation right back to Michigan—or, rather, the teams that the U chose to play or not to play during the current football season.

Where the U once upon atime had to beg to play teams like Michigan, it now has the resources to pay lower-level teams large chunks of money to travel to Salt Lake City and see what it's like to get beaten by a Pac-12 team. This year, the U paid Idaho State $400,000 to fill its opening-game slot. In week No. 2, it paid Fresno State $300,000 to roll into town. The Utes can also pay teams they don't want to play anymore. This year, the Utes—in a buyout of a contract—paid the formidable Utah State Aggies half a million dollars to stay away from Salt Lake City.

Athletically, the U's first four years in the conference have been a roller coaster, replete with defeat and struggle. The entire athletic department has snagged only


one conference championship, in women's gymnastics for the 2014 season. In its first three full seasons in the Pac-12, the Utes' football squad garnered records of 8-5, 5-7 and 5-7, but are off to a 4-1 run this season with Oct. 4's marquee victory over UCLA, then ranked No. 8.

For Hill, the lack of success thus far in terms of brass in the trophy room isn't nearly as important as the simple fact that the University of Utah is now in an elite club that he and other university administrators have no doubt will rub off on the U.

"The difference now is we have the opportunity to compete at the highest level—we jumped the Grand Canyon," Hill says. "We're not afraid of high expectations, and we now areone of Frost's assistants. In 2003 Thomson, swimming with the University of Sydney club returned to the international arena, competing at the 2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, where she collected a silver in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay, and failed to make the final of the individual event. She missed selection for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

In February 2005 Thomson appeared in Series 10, episode 2 of Australian Story.

See also
 List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)

References

Category:1983 births
Category:Living people
Category:Sportswomen from New South Wales
Category:Australian female swimmers
Category:Olympic swimmers of Australia
Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic silver medalists for Australia
Category:Female freestyle swimmers
Category:Swimmers from Sydney
Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic silver medalists in swimming


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Five guys, Obama and fries

May 26, 2013

In 1931, author James Adams coined the phrase “the American Dream.” Adams stated in his book, “The Epic of America,” that the American Dream was “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”

Jerry and Janie Murrell, living in Arlington, Va., believed in that dream so deeply that in 1986 they offered some solid advice to their four sons when they told them to go to college or start a business. The appeal of starting a business prevailed and Five Guys Burgers and Fries was born.

Not only did the family dig in their heels, work their fannies off and learn the ropesof running a business, but, between 1986 and 2001, they expanded their company to include five other locations. For the Murrells, the American Dream became reality. By 2012, Five Guys had opened over 1,000 locations across the United States and Canada with hundreds of other establishments scheduled to open in the near future.

Five Guys was proclaimed the fastest growing food chain in America with 32 percent sales increase between 2010 and 2011. In 2012, a marketing firm questioned 7,600 consumers and Five Guys ranked No. 1 in food quality, service, cleanliness and atmosphere. By all accounts, Jerry, Janie and their sons, Matt, Jim, Chad and Ben, were living proof of that James Adams’ quote.

But there is a foul odor rising from something being cooked up in our nation’s


Baron robbed of $50,000 bracelet

CALYPSONIAN "The Baron" or the "Sweet Soca Man", is not singing too sweetly these days after he was robbed of his $50,000 bracelet in East Port of Spain. He says it was grabbed by a bandit whom he describes as a, "red man."

According to Besson Street Police the incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Tuesday when Timothy Watkins aged 65 of #970 Paria Main Road, Toco was driving his Nissan Frontier south along Observatory Street, Port of Spain and had stopped in traffic.

Police said his windows were down at the time when the bandit described as a five foot, three inch, light-skinned Afro-Trinidadian male walked up to him and yanked the bracelet off his right arm.

Watkins shouted at the man but he ran upa road off Observatory Street and escaped.

Watkins then drove across to the Besson Street Police Station nearby and made a report.

According to a media release sent by Watkins' publicist, "the bracelet was made in honour of his mother back in 1993 and was valued at $50,000 and he hopes the police will help in getting back this invaluable piece of jewelry and he can get the picture of the red man from his memory as he is having nightmares of his robbery."


Nasa has released new images of Pluto's moon Kerberos, taken by the New Horizons probe.

It is considerably smaller than scientists had expected and has a highly-reflective surface, disproving predictions made prior to the Pluto flyby in July.

'Once again, the Pluto system has surprised us,' said New Horizons Project Scientist Hal Weaver, of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

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Say 'cheese'! The moon (pictured) is smaller than scientists expected and has a highly-reflective surface, disproving predictions made prior to the Pluto flyby in July. It appears to have a double-lobed shape, with the larger lobe approximately 5 miles (8 km) across and the smaller lobe approximately 3 miles (5 km) across

The new data shows that Kerberos appears to have a double-lobed shape, withthe larger lobe approximately 5 miles (8 km) across and the smaller lobe approximately 3 miles (5 km) across.

Scientists speculate from its unusual shape that Kerberos may have been formed by the merger of two smaller objects.

The reflectivity of Kerberos' surface is similar to that of Pluto's other small moons - approximately 50 per cent - and strongly suggests Kerberos, like the others, is coated with relatively clean water ice.

Before the New Horizons encounter with Pluto, researchers had used Hubble Space Telescope images to 'weigh' Kerberos by measuring its gravitational influence on its neighbouring moons.

That influence was surprisingly strong, considering how faint Kerberos was.

The reflectivity of Kerberos' surface is similar to that of Pluto's other small moons - approximately 50 per cent - and strongly suggests Kerberos, like


the others, is coated with relatively clean water ice

DID KERBEROS GET ITS DUCK-SHAPE LIKE COMET 67P? The new data shows that Kerberos appears to have a double-lobed shape, with the larger lobe approximately 5 miles (8 km) across and the smaller lobe approximately 3 miles (5 km) across. Scientists speculate from its unusual shape that Kerberos may have been formed by the merger of two smaller objects. Last month scientists revealed that the strange shape of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenkomay have been sculpted by a collision. Analysis of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has revealed its two 'lobes' appear to be two separate smaller comets that have collided together in the past, becoming joined by a thin 'neck'. The researchers looked at the layers of material on the lobes and found they appearto be separate bodies (pictured) By studying high-resolution images sent back by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, researchers have discovered the two lobes of the comet have different compositions. Comet 67P has a larger lobe and a smaller lobe separated by a thin 'neck' region, each of which appear to be made up of 'onion-like' layers. Professor Matteo Massironi, a geoscientist at the University of Padova, Italy, and his colleagues have found that the larger lobe is made up a series of layers 2,130 ft (650 metres) thick. However, these are quite different from the layers that appear in the smaller lobe. Combined with data about the comets gravity, the researchers said this suggests 67P is the result of a low-speed impact between two separate bodies sometime


to be eight miles across. Kerberos was discovered by the Pluto Companion Search Team using the Hubble Space Telescope on 28 June 2011. It was the fourth moon of Pluto to be discovered. The convention for naming Plutonian moons is to use names associated with the god in classical mythology. Cerberus is already the name of an asteroid, so the Greek form of the name, Kerberos, was accepted. Advertisement

But the newly revealed small, bright-surfaced Kerberos shows that the idea was incorrect, for reasons that are not yet fully understood.

'Our predictions were nearly spot-on for the other small moons, but not for Kerberos,' said New Horizons co-investigator Mark Showalter, of the Seti Institute in Mountain View, California.

The new results are expected to lead to a better understanding of Pluto'ssatellite system.

Now that New Horizons has finished its Pluto fly-by, it is hoped that the next leg of its journey will to explore the Kuiper belt.

Nasa selected the potential next destination for the New Horizons mission to visit after its historic July 14 flyby of the Pluto system.

If approved, the probe will become the first spacecraft to visit the icy blocks encircling our solar system in a ring of debris called the Kuiper Belt.

The fridge-sized craft will head to a small Kuiper Belt object (KBO) known as 2014 MU69 that orbits nearly a billion miles beyond Pluto.

As with all Nasa missions that have finished, scientists must write a proposal to the space agency to fund a KBO mission.

That proposal – due in 2016 – will be evaluated by


Louis B. Kahn

Louis B. Kahn (9 May 1918 – 5 July 2012) was an American computer scientist and statistician.

Kahn was born in Chicago, Illinois to Hungarian and Latvian parents.  In 1959, he was one of 10 leading pioneers in the application of statistics using electronic computers, and he presented the Queen of England with a statistical paper that he read to the Royal Statistical Society. He fought in World War II in the 9th Infantry Division in Germany as 1st Lieutenant and was honored the Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Medals and 3 Battle Stars. Prof. Kahn's Ph.D thesis was published as a book entitled A Study of Productivity and Its Measurement<ref>A Study of Productivity and Its Measurement</ref> in 1951. Prof. Kahn co-authored a book entitled Logistics PapersPugh said when he posted the first video of the man brazenly snatching his stuff from the front stoop, "someone else on Twitter said 'the same guy got me last week in Hoboken.'" All told, Pugh was able to identify four houses the man had burglarized, which led the Giants lineman and his next-door neighbor to begin walking the neighborhood at points, trying to find him.


Back in February last year, WhatsApp announced that it will stop supporting versions of BlackBerry OS - including BlackBerry 10 - by the end of 2016. That, however didn't happen, and the date was pushed back to June 30, 2017.

Now, the Facebook-owned service has confirmed that the support has been extended yet again - till 31 December 2017 this time.

In fact, WhatsApp's Blackberry client has started receiving a new update, with change-log clearly saying: changed client end-of-life date to December 31, 2017.

Aside from BlackBerry, support for the Nokia S40 has also been extended to end of this year. The app, however, will stop working on Nokia S60 devices after June 30 2017.

Source | Viaon the top floor of the building to stably and accurately control the pressure within the piping units. However, as the height of the building increases, distributive installation proportionately increases the floor space used to house thermal equipment. Moreover, the distribution of the thermal equipment may increase the complexity of the pressure control system.
In one aspect, a multi-stage pressure distribution and pressure regulation system is disclosed. The system includes at least one heating and cooling load having a supply side and a return side, a heat source supply system for supplying thermo-fluid to the at least one heating and cooling load, and a booster pumping system including at least one booster pump for transferring the thermo-fluid from the heat source supply system to the supply side of the


at least one heating and cooling load for maintaining a predetermined head pressure. The multi-stage system also includes at least one pressure regulating system including at least one pressure reducing and sustaining device for reducing the pressure of the thermo-fluid flowing from the return side of the at least one heating and cooling load and sustaining the pressure at the predetermined head pressure.
In another aspect, a method for distributing fluid pressure acting on piping units of a building is disclosed. The method includes providing booster pumps in multiple stages at appropriate intermediate floors of the building to build sufficient pressure on a supply side of heating and cooling loads, and providing pressure reducing valves in multiple stages at appropriate intermediate floors of the building to reduce the pressureThe abuse began when the girl was 12 years old, prosecutors in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn said on Monday. She was sent to a prominent man in her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community for counseling, and prosecutors said the man sexually molested her over the next three years.

But lawyers defending the man, Nechemya Weberman, 54, of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, told a far different story during the opening arguments of his trial. The girl, a defense lawyer told the jury, had hatched the sordid tale of abuse as an act of revenge against Mr. Weberman and against a religious community she found stifling and rulebound.

As proceedings began during the trial of Mr. Weberman, who is accused of 88 counts of sexual abuse of a minor, it became clear that the community


Post by on Apr 26, 2006 17:27:17 GMT -5

This set includes the 18" Kit doll, her beautiful meet outfit which consists of a lavender sweater set, a pleated skirt, cotton undies, and white canvas sandals.The book "Meet Kit" is also included.

Kit is a wonderful doll. I believe Kit would make a very good choice for any young girls' first doll because her cute bob haircut is so easy to care for.

Kit is absolutely adorable with her deep blue eyes and her pretty freckled face. Kit's eyes are a deep, beautiful, almost aqua shade of blue.

Kit's blonde bob is shiny and full of body and bounce. When you brush it, it just springs right back into place. She can wear hats well without messing up her pretty hair-do.

My Kit'sreally makes me go "bleh" about Kit - as cute as she is - is that she lacks the short hairs in back of her head. So when you give her pigtails, she's got the weird wig-hair and I hate that look, especially when she's so adorable from the front with them.

Post by on May 22, 2008 16:33:53 GMT -5

I love Kit! She is certainly one of my favourite dolls. I got mine when she was first released for Christmas in 2000. She's an adorable doll and her stories are really wonderful and I like that she has a nice different look to her. I feel like my Kit just has a great personality whenever I see her, if that makes sense. Her hair is short, which may


6th, 08 at AGPNY; I had planned for a little over a year that she would be the doll I got when I went to AGPNY. My grandma's name is Margaret as well as one of my friends and my grandparents grew up in the thirties, so Kit had to join the others here. She is very pretty and her short hair adds a nice variety (it especially did when she was first released). I also like that she has dark blue eyes and the freckles add a nice touch.

Kit's outfit is nicely made with the snaps, hook and eye and zipper. It is also versatile (My Kit is wearing her overalls outfit with the sweater on over that, like in a scene (or a couple) from herlook somewhat modern.

Post by MissLeahBear on Oct 31, 2010 18:45:18 GMT -5

Kit sure is a cutie. She's from 2008, right after the movie release. Her hair is so soft and cute, and she's definitely broken the "pretty blonde princess" rule. Her freckles look very adorable with those dark blue eyes. My only complaints are her long section of hair in the front, and that her look pretty much stays the same because of her unstylable hair.

Overall, a B+ for Kit, but she's still very cute and a great first doll for a little kid.

Post by mimiville on Jan 14, 2011 12:33:27 GMT -5

I love Kit. I find her hair easy to take care of, but rather easy to mess up too, if you're not careful. Mine is a


Trust "encouraged" by Clement appointment

Monday, 2nd Jan 2017 19:15 by Planet Swans (follow us on Twitter @swansnews) The Swans Trust have said that they were encouraged by the open lines of communication in the search for a new manager which appears to be set to end on Tuesday when Paul Clement is confirmed as the Swans fourth manager in a little over twelve months. After publicly criticising the club in October over the appointment of Bob Bradley, new Supporter Director Stuart McDonald said that the Trust were this time around consulted fully over the appointment of a new manager, somebody that they believe can get the Swans' identity back. Speaking to the Evening Post, Stuart said "As a Supporters' Trust we are of the view that the appointmentPlaintiffs between 1979 and 1985. Over 2,500 purchasers are alleged to be similarly situated.
The Defendants are the general partners of the Net Lease Partnerships, and the Net Lease Partnerships themselves and include entities that served in the identical capacities as the other Defendant entities listed above in connection with the other Net Lease Partnerships, as partnerships or corporations wholly-owned and controlled by various present and former officers and directors of Integrated Resources, including the individual Defendants, that act as the general partners of the Net Lease Partnerships and, in turn, the general partners of such general partners.
Although not a party as a consequence of its filing for bankruptcy in February 1990, Integrated and its activities are the generating force in the miasma of litigation which followed its downfall.
It


92 Civ. 0023 (RWS) ("Neuman I") which has as its subject the Net Lease Partnerships alleged to give rise to the rights set forth in the complaint here. There are presently pending in Neuman I Global Motions directed to both its securities and RICO claims. In thirteen of the MDL actions in which Global Motions I and II have been decided, the plaintiffs have withdrawn their federal claims by stipulation and the parties have consented to the retention by this court of the pendent state claims.
A petition for reorganization of Integrated has been pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York since February 1990 and in the spring of 1993 certain reorganization plans were proposed which involved the sale and financing ofthe Contract Rights as set forth in the disclosure statement for the Debtor's First Amended and Restated Plan of Reorganization of January 19, 1993 ("Disclosure Statement"). It was proposed in the Disclosure Statement that creditors of Integrated be paid in part by the issuance of a $250 million note funded through the financing or sale of the Contract Rights.
On March 10, 1993 the Plaintiffs filed a class action summons and complaint in this action in the Supreme Court of the State of New York which was the subject of a notice of removal to this court on March 31 and treated as a related case to the MDL actions. The parties and counsel for the parties in the instant action ("Neuman II") are identical to those in Neuman


I.
The complaint alleges causes of action under state law for breaches of fiduciary duty by the Defendants as general partners of the limited partnership, the Plaintiffs alleging that Integrated cannot sell or finance the Contract Rights in their present form and must obtain the Limited Partnership's consents to any reissuance in a marketable form. Plaintiffs allege that in exchange for the consents, Integrated agreed to discount the Contract Rights and at the same time, that the Defendants negotiated with Integrated for indemnification against claims made against them by limited partners in unrelated partnerships. Plaintiffs also allege that since the real property represented by the Contract Rights represents virtually all the assets of the Defendants, the proposed modification has the same effect as the sale of property which requiresthe Holy Father. The DP included a Questionnaire, mainly addressed to Bishops’ Conferences, to the Synods of Eastern Catholic Churches and to other ecclesial bodies, with fifteen questions for everybody and three specific questions for each continent, as well as a request to share three “best practices”.

From 11 to 15 September 2017, an International Seminar on the Condition of Youth in the World took place, with the participation of many experts and young people, that helped focus on the situation of young people today from a scientific standpoint.

Besides these initiatives, aimed at involving the entire Church, there have been several opportunities to listen to the voice of young people themselves, so as to make them key players right from the very beginning. First of all, a multilingual Online


also urged to accompany all young people, without exception, towards the joy of love.

With their presence and their words, young people can help rejuvenate the face of the Church. There is a thematic link between the Message to Young People of the Second Vatican Council (8 December 1965) and the Synod of Young People (3-28 October 2018), something the Holy Father highlighted when he introduced the Pre-synodal meeting: «The splendid Message to the Young of Vatican Council II comes to mind. […] It is an invitation to seek new paths and to journey along them boldly and trustfully, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus and opening up to the Holy Spirit, to rejuvenate the very countenance of the Church», as we accompany young people in their journey ofthe journalists during the flight to Brazil, 22 July 2013).

A Multifaceted Variety of Contexts

6. There are about 1.8 billion people aged between 16 and 29 in the world, who correspond to almost a quarter of humankind, although forecasts point to a gradual decrease in the percentage of young people in the overall population. The concrete situations of young people vary a lot between countries, as the answers from Bishops’ Conferences have highlighted. In some countries, young people account for a sizable portion of the population (above 30%), whereas their share is much lower in others (around 15%, or less); there are countries where life expectancy does not reach 60 and others where it can exceed 80, on average. Opportunities to access education, healthcare, enviromental resources, culture and technology,


some parts of the world, young people seek identity by remaining rooted within their family traditions and striving to stay true to the way they were raised» (PM 1). These situations call for a deeper insight into the relationship between youth culture and family morality. Several sources report a growing gap between them; however, others argue that there are still young people who are interested in living authentic and lasting relationships and give great value to the indications coming from the Church. To many, marriage and family are still among the ambitions and plans young people pursue.

Intergenerational Relationships

14. Amongst the features of our time, confirmed by many BC and by the International Seminar, as well as by several social analyses, there is a kind of reversal in theevident, as well as training opportunity gaps between rural and urban areas and alarming drop-out rates: all in all, these things are a threat to the future of young people and society. In some countries, the situation of those who neither study nor work (so-called “NEETs”) is equally worrisome and requires attention also in terms of pastoral care.

20. In many countries where education systems are inadequate, the Church and her educational institutions play a fundamental remedial role, whereas elsewhere they have a hard time keeping up with national quality standards. A particularly sensitive domain is professional training, where in several countries Catholic school institutions play an important role: they do not just teach technical skills but help students discover how they can make the most of their abilities,


Son of God, and often feel close to Him through Mary, His mother. Others do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, but see Him as a good man and an ethical reference-point. To others, He is a character from the past with no existential relevance, or someone who is very distant from human experience (just as the Church is perceived as being distant). False images of Jesus deprive Him of any appeal in the eyes of young people, just as the notion that Christian perfection is beyond the reach of human capacities leads young people to perceive Christianity as an unattainable standard (cf. PM 6). In several contexts, young Catholics are looking for prayer opportunities and sacramental moments that can have an impact on their daily lives,young people with opportunities for engagement and co-responsibility. In many contexts, popular piety is still an important access point to faith for younger generations, who find in the body, in affectivity, in music and singing important conduits to express themselves. Together with other national, international and continental meetings, WYD plays a remarkable role in the lives of many young people because, as one BC puts it, it provides «a vivid experience of faith and communion, that helps them face life’s major challenges and responsibly find their place in society and in the ecclesial community».

33. Young people noticeably like teamwork and are good at it, which is an asset in many situations. Sometimes this openness clashes with excessive authoritarianism on the part of adults and ministers: «On many occasions,


front of an “invisible and ubiquitous enemy” that they demonize at times.

Music and Other Forms of Artistic Expression

36. As a great many BC point out, music is a fundamental language for young people: it is the soundtrack of their lives, in which they are constantly plunged, and it contributes to the formation of their identity in a way that the Church seldom explores in depth, despite having a general awareness of its importance. Music elicits emotions, involving people also physically; it opens up spaces of interiority and favors their communication. It also conveys messages, as well as life styles and values that are consistent with or alternative to the ones promoted by other forms of education. In some youth cultures, the music world can become a kind ofa hallmark of our faith» (PM 7), but which Christian communities often seem unable to convey.

70. Another request refers to the introduction of a dialogue style inside and outside the Church: young people believe it is necessary to tackle a number of major issues of our time, such as recognizing and enhancing the role of women in the Church and society. Some young people encourage the Church to deepen a cultural interpretation of the faith that allows for a fruitful dialogue with other forms of knowledge and religious traditions: «In a globalized and inter-religious world, the Church needs to not only model but also to elaborate on theological guidelines for peaceful, constructive dialogue with people of other faiths and traditions» (PM 2).

A Community “Committed to Justice”

71. In several


parts of the world that are plagued by different kinds of poverty, young people are asking for material help or accompaniment to heal their suffering. But where the Church is seen as an institution that is actively engaged in civil and social promotion, they ask that this prophetic presence might continue with courage and fortitude, despite the climate of violence, oppression and persecution surrounding the life of several Christian communities. Many young people are asking the Church for greater operational pragmatism, touching on various issues: truly siding with the poor, caring about environmental issues, making visible choices of sobriety and transparency, being true and clear but also bold in denouncing evil in a radical way, not only in civil society and the world, but also in the Churchfound himself in, when confronted with the call to be the prophet of nations, he mentioned his young age to the Lord: «Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth» (Jer 1:6). He felt the need to have God near him who, through His grace, would bring a reliable hope into his fragile existence.

On the other hand, youth is the bearer of inexperience and, therefore of justified fear and structural uncertainty in the face of the great tasks life has in store for us. Every young person yearns for company, support, closeness, proximity. Jeremiah calmed down only when God Himself addressed these words to him: «Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue


connected to the Church’s missionary character, which is ultimately directed towards communion with God and among all people. In truth, the different ecclesial vocations are the many multifaceted expressions through which the Church fulfils her call to be a real sign of the Gospel, received in a fraternal community. The various forms in which we can follow Christ express, each in its own way, the mission to bear witness to the Jesus event, in which every man and woman finds salvation.

98. Saint Paul returns to this topic several times in his letters, recalling the image of the Church as a body that is made up of various members, and highlighting how each one is necessary and at the same time in relation to the whole, because only thein the history of mankind. The recent letter Iuvenescit Ecclesia, on the relationship between hierarchical and charismatic gifts for the life and mission of the Church, provided valuable indications to develop a correct theology of charisms, in order to gratefully welcome and wisely enhance the gifts of grace that the Spirit constantly elicits in the Church for her rejuvenation.

The Different Vocational Paths

100. Finally, the development of a broad vocational perspective invites us to think of vocational discernment in a way that potentially includes everyone because, as Pope Francis says, «to speak of vocational ministry is to affirm that all pastoral action of the Church is oriented, by its very nature, to vocational discernment. […] Vocational service must be seen as the soul of all evangelization and of all