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EPFL Topology Seminar 2013/2014
Fridays at 14:15
MA 31 Cellular approximations of classifying spaces of compact Lie groups Alberto Gavira-Romero
UA Barcelona
20.09.13 Cellular properties of nilpotent spaces Jérôme Scherer
25.10.13 A new approach to the bar-cobar constructions Matthieu Anel
MA 31 The degrees of maps between (2n-1)-Poincare complexes Jelena Grbic
MA 31 Loop space decompositions of simply-connected four-manifolds Stephen Theriault
01.11.13 A small model for the cohomology of some principal bundles Samuel Tinguely
08.11.13 A 2-categorical approach to quasi-categories Dimitri Zaganidis
15.11.13 Direct products and Ext1 contravariant functors Claudiu Valculescu
22.11.13 Batalin-Vilkovisky algebra via the double cobar construction Alexandre Quesney
29.11.13 Towards new topological models of neural processes Sophie Raynor
Aberdeen/EPFL
06.12.13 Categories of fibrant objects and higher stacks Ezra Getzler
Northwestern/Geneva
13.12.13 Geometric categories related to factorization homology Ricardo Andrade
Paris XIII
07.02.14 Homotopic Hopf-Galois extensions of commutative dga's
Varvara Karpova
Master thesis oral defense 9h45, 10h45, 11h45; 14h15, 15h15 Eiichi Piguet, Mathias Constantin, Ismaël Jecker, Coralie Spahn, Rachel Jeitziner
28.02.14 Loop space homology of a p-local group
Ran Levi
21.03.14 Computational aspects of (persistent) homology. From discrete to continuous and back. Pawel Dlotko
04.04.14 Detection property in stable equivariant homotopy theory Nicolas Ricka
03.06.14 08h30 Semester project presentation, MA30 Carù, Slamitz, Ho Thanh, Espic, Hunkeler
06.06.14 13h30 Semester project presentation, MA30 Hong, Boys, Scheurer
12.06.14 10h15 Introduction to Categorical Geometry Eric Bunch
20.06.14 Some properties of the category of quandles Valérian Even
Université de Louvain-la-Neuve
16, 22-24.07.2014
Working group in topological data analysis
(Bibliography) Members of the
Homotopy Theory Group
MA 30 Spaces of commuting elements in Lie groups Mentor Stafa
(See also the program of the topology seminar in 2011/12, 2010/11, 2009/10, 2008/09, 2007/08, 2006/07, and 2005/06.)
Gavira-Romero: Abstract can be downloaded here.
Scherer: This is joint work with Wojciech Chachólski, Emmanuel Dror Farjoun, and Ramón Flores. One property of classifying spaces of discrete groups is that the pointed mapping space map*(BG, BG) is (homotopically) discrete, more precisely the fundamental group functor induces an equivalence with Hom(G, G). Which other spaces have this property? For nilpotent spaces, only classifying spaces do!
To attack this problem we study cellular properties of nilpotent spaces. We show in particular that a nilpotent space X "constructs" any of its Postnikov sections, hence K(pi1 X, 1). I will explain our strategy of this cellularity statement and how it implies the claim about mapping spaces.
Anel: This is joint work with André Joyal. Our main result is that the category of dg-coalgebras is symmetric monoidal closed and that the category of dg-algebras is enriched, bicomplete and monoidal over that of dg-coalgebras. This structure produces six operations on algebras and coalgebras which can be used to construct many adjunctions between algebras and coalgebras: de Rham complex, jet algebras, Sweedler duality, and the bar-cobar adjunction.
Grbic: I shall describe results on degrees of maps between (n-2)-connected (2n-1)-dimensional Poincare complexes which have torsion free integral homology. In particular, necessary and sufficient algebraic conditions for the existence of map degrees between such Poincare complexes will be established and the calculation of the set of all map degrees between certain Poincare complexes will be illustrated. Time permitting, we shall see how the knowledge of possible degrees of self maps can be used to classify, up to homotopy, torsion free (n-2)-connected (2n-1)-dimensional Poincare complexes for low n.
Theriault: Let M be a simply-connected four-manifold. We give an explicit homotopy decomposition of the based loops on M, which depends only on the rank of the degree two cohomology of M, and whose factors are spheres and loops on spheres. Some consequences will also be discussed.
Tinguely: Let G be a compact, connected and simply connected Lie group, and ΩG the space of the loops in G based at the identity. I will present a way to compute the cohomology of the total space of a principal ΩG-bundle over a manifold M, from the cohomology of G, the differential forms on M and the characteristic classes of the bundle. If times permits, I will also cover the equivariant case.
Zaganidis: In a recent paper, Emily Riehl and Dominic Verity have shown that the (strict) 2-category of quasi-categories captures already a lot of information about the category theory of quasi-categories. In this talk, we will present some of their constructions and results. We will discuss weak 2-limits and in particular weak comma objects. We will also define adjunctions, equivalences, terminal objects and limits in a 2-categorical way.
Valculescu: Using inequalities between infinite cardinals, I will show that, if R is an hereditary ring, then the contravariant derived functor Ext1R(−,G) commutes with direct products if and only if G is an injective R-module.
Quesney: Let X be a simplicial set. H.-J. Baues constructed an explicit coproduct on the cobar construction of X. This coproduct has two well-known properties : 1- the resulting double cobar construction of X is a model for the chain complex of the double loop space of |X|; 2- it corresponds to an E_2-coalgebra structure on the chain complex of X. By using this E_2-coalgebra structure, we establish a criterion for obtaining a BV-algebra structure up to homotopy (à la Gerstenhaber-Voronov) on the double cobar construction of X. We obtain such a BV-algebra structure up to homotopy when X is an iterated simplicial suspension. We also discuss the particular case when the ground ring is a characteristic zero field.
Raynor: Together with Kathryn Hess and Ran Levi, and in collaboration with the Blue Brain Project here at the EPFL, I am working to develop new topological methods for neural modelling. Though the hope is that topology will provide useful insights for neuroscience, as mathematicians we are really motivated by the potential for new mathematics inspired by neuroscientific questions. I will introduce the category we are using to model brain plasticity and learning processes, and some ideas for how we are actually going to do this, highlighting some of the topological features that are emerging from our investigations. Since this is work in its infancy, the focus will be on developing the context, and discussing questions meriting further investigation.
Getzler: We explain a simple method of constructing categories of fibrant objects (which generalizes the theory of simplicial sheaves to simplicial objects in more general categories than a topos). As an example, we present the category of derived stacks.
Andrade: This talk will provide a brief overview of factorization homology, and its relations to stratified spaces and configuration spaces. I will begin with a construction of Hochschild homology in terms of a category of configurations on a circle. Factorization homology generalizes Hochschild homology and is obtained by taking configurations of points on an arbitrary manifold. I will give a detailed description of these categories of configurations using stratified spaces. The connection to stratified spaces is the basis for proving some results concerning factorization homology.
Karpova: After giving a brief overview of (homotopic) (Hopf-)Galois theory and explaining its motivations, we define the concept of homotopic Hopf-Galois extensions in the category of non-negatively graded chain complexes over a field. We will then discuss the behavior of homotopic Hopf-Galois extensions under cobase change (i.e., under pushout). Finally, we will formulate and establish one direction of a homotopic Hopf-Galois correspondence in this context.
This work takes its roots and inspiration in the works of Kathryn Hess (2009, 2010) and John Rognes (2008).
Levi: For a finite group G the homology of the loop space of BG^p with coefficients in a field of characteristic p was shown by Benson to admit a definition by purely algebraic terms. We present an approach which generalises Benson's construction to p-local group theory motivated by the aim of providing a tool to distinguish the family of p-compact groups among all p-local compact groups. Background, general motivation, and terminology for the subject will be provided.
Dlotko: Computational topology is a branch of a computational mathematics – a new discipline emerging in between mathematics and computer science and aiming in obtaining mathematical rigorous results with a help of computer. Recently computational topology gain a lot of attention in various fields outside mathematics. I will start this talk by summarizing some of those applications. Later the concept of
persistent homology will be explained and the algorithm(s) to compute it for a finite filtered cell complex will be given. Having this knowledge we will consider the problem of rigorous computations of level sets (up to homotopy type) and persistent homology of sufficiently smooth functions f : Rn —-> Rn.
Ricka: The computation of generalised cohomology of groups is an interesting and difficult problem in general. In this talk, we will explain how the ideas of Ossa, which led to a computation of connective complex k-theory of elementary abelian groups generalises to the Z/2-equivariant setting. The approach we will describe leads to a computation of the connective k-theory with reality of abelian 2-groups. This object of equivariant nature contains in particular both real and complex connective k-theory of such groups.
Bunch: Given a complete and cocomplete closed symmetric monoidal category C, consider CMon(C), the category of commutative monoids in C. We wish to define a spectrum that takes R in CMon(C) and gives Spec(R), a topological space together with a structure sheaf that takes values in CMon(C). To do this, we make use of the (bi)fibration Mod –> CMon(C), and instead of defining directly Spec(R), we will actually define Spec(R-mod). In the case when C = Z-mod, this spectrum recovers the prime spectrum of a ring. If time permits, I will discuss thoughts on the case when C = S-mod; modules over the sphere spectrum, and CMon(C) is commutative ring spectra. In this case, we do not wish to distinguish between two Quillen equivalent ring spectra, and thus must modify the definition of Spec(R). The case when C = S-mod is the subject of my research this summer under the guidance of Dr. Hess.
Even: The purpose of this talk is to clarify the relationship between the algebraic notion of quandle covering introduced by M. Eisermann and the categorical notion of covering arising from Galois theory. A crucial role is played by the adjunction between the category of quandles and the category of trivial quandles. We will also compare the factorisation system induced by this adjunction with the factorisation system discovered by E. Bunch, P. Lofgren, A. Rapp and D. N. Yetter.
Stafa: We study the spaces of ordered pairwise commuting n-tuples in a compact and connected Lie group G, denoted Hom(Zk,G). We introduce an infinite dimensional topological space denoted Comm(G), reminiscent of a Stiefel variety, that assembles the spaces Hom(Zk,G) into a single space. This construction admits stable decompositions which allow the study of the spaces Hom(Zk,G) individually, and the Hilbert-Poincare series is also calculated using Molien's theorem. The cohomology of Comm(G) is given in terms of the tensor algebra generated by the reduced homology of the maximal torus. This is joint work with Fred Cohen.


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Market Volatility And New Laws Shape US-Sino Tech Investing
Chuck Comey	Thomas Chou	Gigi Yuen	5 years
Chuck Comey Contributor
Chuck Comey is a corporate finance partner in the Morrison & Foerster Palo Alto office.
Thomas Chou Contributor
Thomas Chou is a resident partner in the Morrison & Foerster Hong Kong office.
Gigi Yuen Contributor
Gigi Yuen is a corporate finance associate in the Morrison & Foerster Hong Kong office.
How will the headlines from Beijing affect VC investment and M&A between China and the U.S. in the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector?
With the world's eyes on China's rising domestic debt, plunging stock market, and devaluation of the Renminbi (RMB), the question is being asked in board rooms and at funding pitches alike, from Palo Alto to Zhongguancun.
In the blink of an eye, the basic premise regarding China's seemingly inexorable future growth has been replaced with, at best, a more guarded prognosis. As a result, investors, buyers and target companies are grappling what is likely the 'new normal' of flattening growth and continued volatility in the PRC market.
At one level, not much has changed for many start-ups and the angels and VCs that have funded them. The RMB's rise against the USD from 2010 to 2014 did little to dampen US foreign direct investment into China, which rose from US$59 billion to US$65 billion during the same period (with a slight dip in 2010-11) according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Conversely, some may cheer the RMB's depreciation as hopefully leading to more reasonable valuation whose stratospheric levels in recent months, as one leader at a major international VC fund told us last month, "have made it very challenging to make money in China."
But as China learns and the rest of the world is reminded that having established a stock market, Beijing cannot control it simply by diktat and investors and buyers who deal with China are feeling less secure. An additional wildcard in the mix for dealmakers is the new draft Foreign Investment Laws which, while leveling the playing field for foreign investors in some respects, may trip up foreign investments in certain TMT businesses.
Chinese Outbound Investment and M&A
Chinese outbound investment into the U.S. has increased steadily for the past five years, reaching US$20.35 billion in 2014, of which US$6.17 billion was invested in the technology sector, according to the American Enterprise Institute. While the devaluation of the RMB makes outbound investments more expensive for Chinese investors who primarily hold RMB and may threaten the availability of acquisition financing, investors we spoke with believe this to be a short-term currency fluctuation whose impact upon their investment plans in the near- to mid-term will be minimal.
Outbound TMT investors and buyers continue to focus on long-term business growth, notwithstanding recent headlines. The U.S. remains China's most popular outbound investment destination due to its rich culture of innovation and advanced technology offerings.
Richard Hsu, former managing director for Intel Capital China, believes that outbound TMT investment from China is primarily driven by a desire for market access or technical capabilities, and that "a 5-10% move in the currency is not going to dampen that appetite," absent a more major macroeconomic dislocation.
Similarly, investment firms that have a broader geographical mandate are hedging their positions to insulate against the potential impact of the RMB's devaluation. Frank Yu, founder of Ally Bridge Group Capital Partners, a Hong Kong-based fund with a focus on life science technologies in China, U.S. and Europe that is sponsoring the take-private of NYSE listed WuXi PharmaTech, also confirmed that the recent RMB depreciation will not impact its investment strategy, as "Ally Bridge's global investment approach and portfolio provide a good hedge."
On the outbound M&A side, large Chinese strategics such as Tsinghua Unigroup, Fosun International, and Dalian Wanda Groupcontinue to invest actively in semiconductors and education, as well as in expansion plays in media, real estate and insurance.
At the same time, at least one PRC-based investment bank we work with has counselled one of its Chinese buy-side clients to revise downward a pending indicative offer in a yet to be announced take-private. We expect that proxy disclosure for public M&A deals involving U.S.-listed PRC targets that are announced in the coming months may more frequently include discussion of southward trending pricing discussions as part of the transaction history.
China Inbound Investment and M&A
The recalibration of the stock markets from such great heights is likely to correspond with a capitulation in the lofty valuations demanded by founders over the past 12-18 months. In the near term, late stage companies that had been relying on listing on the stock market will find exits more challenging. With the challenges facing capital markets, together with China's slowing economy and weaker currency, inbound investments to China may appear less attractive.
Nevertheless, there remain significant investment opportunities in the PRC, that at least to date, have largely been unaffected by these headwinds. Domestic service-driven industries such as healthcare and fintech services, cloud technologies, disruptive O2O platforms in accommodations, transport and logistics, and new technologies, such as in IoT, are examples of such opportunities.
Start-ups such as XingRen (Trusted Doctors) are tapping into the demand for enhanced healthcare services, offering a mobile healthcare platform with WeChat integration that bridges the gap between doctors and patients, facilitating better communication, improved follow-up care for patients and, as a result, improved clinical outcomes.
It recently completed a RMB200 million (approximately US$32 million) Series B round of funding led by FountainVest, with returning backers Lightspeed China Partners and Sequoia Capital. Martin Shen, CEO and founder of XingRen, notes that for the middle class, "China … is still primarily a domestic inward looking market" where the healthcare industry lags in meeting consumer demand for more personalized services and technologies.
Hsu notes that services generally will continue to be a growth area, particularly in 3rd and 4th tier cities, where the shortage of talent is perceived as the cause of a lack of service quality. This shortage will either be fulfilled by an increase in trained labor or through the application of technology (e.g., self-ordering at restaurants).
In addition, with China still having the largest number of internet users to date, O2O industries remain very active for their disruptive impact on transportation and accommodation – Didi Kuadi Joint Co. (Uber's main rival in China) raised US$3 billion as of September 2015, including participation by flagship Chinese funds like CIC and Tujia (a vacation rental provider), raised US$300 million in a recent round of preferred equity financing.
Another very active sector is ecommerce, where foreign investment restrictions on online retail have been lifted nationwide.
Reflecting foreign investors' continued focus on e-commerce, Walmart's recent buyout of the remaining Ping An and co-founder interests in its B2C website Yihaodian augurs a continued push to gain market share in critical tier 1 cities, while using logistics and related efficiencies for the benefit of Chinese domestic consumers.
Mirroring the Walmart transaction are similar big bets in e-commerce by Chinese players. For example, the ffan.com e-commerce marketplace JV, recently formed by Dalian Wanda, Tencent and Baidu, is focusing initially on F&B and cinema tickets. Baidu meanwhile has stated its intention to invest up to US$3.2 billion over the next three years to help connect merchants with customers on its e-commerce app, Nuomi.
These are not the only industries where investors see opportunities. Beyond e-commerce, Milton Chou, China Growth Leader at GE Ventures expects investment growth in intelligent lighting, smart buildings, energy efficient control systems, medical devices and life sciences, as well as advanced manufacturing initiatives such as robotics and 3D printing. The Chinese government is also encouraging foreign investment in the IoT sector.
A Brave New World for Foreign Direct Investment in China
While the effects of a devalued RMB and volatile stock market are still rippling through the TMT sector, changes in the Chinese regulatory framework may prove more influential in the mid-term. The rise of the Chinese stock market in recent years has seen valuation averages for technology stock skyrocket to 220 times reported profits prior to the June 2015 tumble.
This prompted a slew of privatizations in the U.S., with acquirers looking to re-list their targets in China instead where valuations were higher. Although Chinese take-private offers for US-listed companies have continued in Q2 of 2015, there are concerns that the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC)'s wide regulatory powers over the Chinese stock market (as demonstrated by the moratorium on IPOs it put in place to stabilize the Chinese stock market in early July 2015) may cause investors to rethink the viability of an IPO exit in China, according to Mr. Hsu, Intel Capital China's former managing director.
Focus Media's run at re-listing in Shenzhen after delisting from NASDAQ, which was set to become precedent for similar deals before its intended backdoor listing vehicle came under CSRC scrutiny, will be closely watched.
Another key development involves VIEs. As many of our readers know, currently many TMT China-bound investments are structured through the use of a variable interest entity (VIE) due to restrictions on foreign investment in the value added telecoms (VAT) sector. Proposed revisions to the legal framework regulating foreign investments in China could soon change this.
In January 2015, the PRC Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) published a draft Foreign Investment Law that is intended to completely revamp the current foreign investment regime. It is anticipated that the draft law will make it more difficult for foreign investors to use VIE structures to avoid restrictions that PRC law otherwise places on the level of foreign equity ownership in the licensed domestic company.
As noted in our prior client alert, in a VIE structure, the foreign investor does not directly own the licensed domestic operating company engaged in VAT services, but controls such company through contractual arrangements with PRC nominee shareholders.
The new Foreign Investment Law looks past the registered domicile/nationality of the direct shareholders of the licensed operating entity, and examines whether ultimate control over the business is wielded by non-Chinese persons. As a result, foreign investors seeking to take a significant interest in VAT businesses, as well as foreign investors in existing VIE-structured businesses, may not be able to easily invest in such businesses, qualify their current ownership without a further review and/or approval or sell an existing stake to other foreign acquirers.
The effects of RMB depreciation, stock volatility and the slowing economy on cross-border investment to and from China are still playing out as this article goes to press. One trend that is clear is the important role that the draft Foreign Investment Law and other recent proposed changes to the regulatory regime affecting TMT in China (such as China's draft cybersecurity measures) will play in determining how active investment continues to be.
Stay tuned – the next 12-18 months should be interesting.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Baghdad Airport Road
"Route Irish" redirects here. For the film, see Route Irish (film).
Iraqis make Arba`iniyah trek via Airport Road
Baghdad International Airport and the Green Zone
The Baghdad Airport Road is a 12-kilometre (7.5 mi) stretch of highway in Baghdad, Iraq linking the Green Zone, a heavily fortified area at the centre of Baghdad, to Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). It also links different parts of Baghdad to the Airport and connects neighbouring areas to each other. It became prominent after the 2003 invasion of Iraq following its capture by the Coalition Forces. Although it was commonly referred to by the military Main Supply Route (MSR) designation Route Irish, the route from the International Zone to the airport stretches over two MSRs: Route Aeros, the section leading into and out of the International Zone, and Route Irish, which stretches east from the airport, then turns south (past the junction with Route Aeros) to a junction with Highway 1 (MSR Tampa).
Because of heavy military traffic and high-profile convoys, the route from the International Zone to the airport was extremely dangerous in the years following the invasion. The many roadside bombs, suicide bombers attacking its checkpoints, drive-by shootings and random shooting from the areas on both sides of the road have led to its notoriety.[1] In late 2004 after aggressive patrolling by 1/7th Cavalry, the 1st Cav 4/5 ADA (Dakota and Foxtrot Batteries),[2] and the 1/69th Infantry during Operation Wolfhound the road became safer and more reliable.[3][4]
In 2008, Baghdad airport road underwent construction to repair and repave the road.[5] A beautification and redevelopment plan for the road was announced in 2010 in anticipation of the Arab Summit in 2011.[6][7]
On January 2, 2020, a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and others, on this road.[8][9]
^ Sydney Morning Herald, The World's Most Dangerous Road
^ America's North Shore Journal, Route Irish, Safer and More Travelled
^ Washington Post, Easy Sailing Along Once-Perilous Road To Baghdad Airport
^ http://www.newsweek.com/rebuilding-baghdads-infamous-airport-road-223522
^ http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2010/11/14/126136.html
^ https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/21/world/middleeast/turkey-iraq-isis-ahmet-davutoglu.html?_r=0
^ "U.S. airstrike kills top Iran general, Qassem Soleimani, at Baghdad airport". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
^ arraf, jane (2020-01-05). "Site of US drone strike on #Baghdad airport road where #Iran's Soleimani and senior #Iraqi official Abu Mehdi al-Muhandis were killed. Candles, flag of paramilitary forces that al Muhandis helped lead as it pushed back #ISIS. Many Iraqis see dark days ahead.pic.twitter.com/ky492fZfnW". @janearraf. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
This Iraqi road or road transport-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baghdad_Airport_Road&oldid=934526909"


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Ag Committee's Cammack: 'Out of touch' Dems ignore food crisis, fixate on 'Tesla charging stations'
Democrats "are completely aware of what is coming and what is happening, and yet they continue to march down this path of the so-called Green New Deal," said Florida Republican Rep. Kat Cammack.
By Natalia Mittelstadt
Updated: April 9, 2022 - 11:09pm
Amid warnings of an upcoming food crisis, Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee are prioritizing the installation of "Tesla charging stations" in rural America, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) lamented this week.
The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) released a report Monday titled "Unprecedented Needs Threaten a Hunger Catastrophe."
"The world cannot afford another conflict as is happening today in Ukraine," the report warned. "The war is a catastrophe, compounding what is already a year of destructive hunger."
"Ukraine and Russia account for a third of the global wheat supply, and over half of WFP's supply of the grain," the report explains. "The crisis in the breadbasket of Europe is driving up the price of wheat as well as maize, sunflower oil and crude oil — with dramatic fallouts for food security worldwide."
If the Russian invasion continues beyond April, "an additional 47 million people" will experience acute hunger, up "from a prewar baseline of 276 million people," WFP noted in another report, released on Wednesday.
"Altogether, this means that up to 323 million people could become acutely food insecure in 2022," the report added.
On Friday, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said the invasion of Ukraine is causing a 17.1% increase in prices for grain, which includes wheat, oats, barley and corn.
On the John Solomon Reports podcast on Wednesday, Cammack warned of the approaching food crisis as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, preventing the latter country from planting crops.
"Ukraine should be planting right now," she said. "They are not planting. So while this would be a typical growing season and a planting season, tractors are being used for the war effort, fuel is being used for the war effort — that is going to be a major, major issue as we move into the fall and the winter, because they will have missed an entire season. There will be no harvest next year."
There will be a "700% increase in fertilizer costs," Cammack predicted. "And when you compound that with fuel prices — it was $5.19 a gallon for diesel in my district just this past weekend. You factor in the regulatory environment that is squeezing our producers to death. This administration has thrown more red tape on them and the threat of new taxes and regulations on producers, and then you basically put a bow on it with a pretty scarce labor market, it's looking pretty grim."
She criticized the "out of touch" Biden administration for pushing green energy policies amid the food crisis.
"I think it's willful ignorance," she said. "They are completely aware of what is coming and what is happening, and yet they continue to march down this path of the so-called Green New Deal, and a renewable energy market."
During a House Agriculture Committee hearing Tuesday, Cammack recounted, she told the undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture that "producers across this country are scrambling to basically put fuel in their tractors, and you want to talk about Tesla charging stations in rural America where they don't have enough money and margins to cover their basic fuel operations, let alone make payroll ... and you want to put charging stations in rural America? I think that that screams how out of touch Washington, and this administration, truly, truly are."
The congresswoman also recalled a recent private meeting that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had with Congress members on the border crisis. "I can tell you that every single member in that room was frustrated, including Secretary Mayorkas," she said. "There was some very, very strong family discussions going on. And there is just an exasperation, I think, on his part. You get the sense that he feels boxed in."
Cammack said she told Mayorkas that her husband, who's a firefighter, had responded to three overdoses the night before.
"[T]he crime has been skyrocketing, the narcotics pouring into the community are just overflowing," she said. "It is incredibly dangerous for first responders today because of this administration's open border policies and their defund police movement. This is tremendously scary.
"And in that meeting, I wanted him to understand that this is very real, it is not a far away, removed situation, but it's something that's very real and present in every community."
Rep. Ralph Norman says the GOP is preparing a plan to trim the size of the American government
Former House Intelligence Committee chairman distrusts counsel appointed to investigate Biden
U.S. to send battalion of tanks to Ukraine ahead of expected Russian offensive


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NFL Week 6 Picks
Breaking up with the Giants is hard to do. I deleted their number, unfriended them on Facebook, put all the memories they gave me in a box that I then labeled "JOKE" and have even avoided using the word "giant" in any context, choosing to go with "huge," "enormous" and "mammoth" among others. But guess what? I let them back in my life! I know, I know! I'm an idiot and at midnight on Thursday night when they're 0-6 and Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin and Justin Tuck are making excuses like a sophomore in high school whose English midterm is late again (no, that wasn't me…) you can all tell me "I told you so." But this morning, with the thought of being still in the division thanks to the Cowboys, it was the equivalent of seeing a few late-night texts from the Giants or seeing a request that "New York Giants wants to be your friend" waiting for me on Facebook and I couldn't help but give them what is now their third chance this season. I know I'm stupid, but just shut up for a minute and let me explain.
The difference this time is I'm fully prepared for the Giants to get beat up by the Bears and run out of Soldier Field like a drunk Packers fan wearing a foam cheesehead with his entire body painted green screaming "Bears suck!" during a Bears-Packers game. I'm not going into this game thinking the Giants are going to win or that they even have a real chance to win. I'm going into the game hoping that they have a Lloyd Christmas-Mary Swanson-like small chance or even smaller to stay in the game until the fourth quarter and then maybe Eli Manning will find his missing fourth-quarter magic or maybe Jay Cutler will hand the Giants a win the way he has handed so many other teams wins in his career. You're still not sold? Neither am I really.
Apparently as the Giants season goes, my picks go. Week 5 was another train wreck that proved that logic and reasoning is pointless when it comes to the 2013 NFL. On top of it all, anything you have seen or learned or figured out is worthless at the end of each week and completely irrelevant in picking the following week. It's almost as if the movie 50 First Dates has become me making my NFL picks. And for as bad as that movie was, my picks have been worse.
Week 6 … let's go!
(Home team in caps)
New York Giants +7.5 over CHICAGO
This is the last time I will be picking the Giants. The absolute last time. This is it. It's really it.
KANSAS CITY -8 over Oakland
Picking an Andy Reid-led team with Alex Smith as the starting quarterback (even if they are undefeated) this many times is sure to backfire at some point. But the Chiefs have won four of their five games by at least nine points and that's good enough for me to pick against the Raiders on the road.
Philadelphia -1.5 over TAMPA BAY
It doesn't matter if Michael Vick starts or Nick Foles starts or Nick Vick (the combination of the two that we saw against the Giants) starts against the Buccaneers. Any of those three options is better than Mike Glennon, who will be making his second career start following Josh Freeman's release and the circus Greg Schiano created down in Tampa Bay. And if Glennon for some reason can't play or is removed from the game, you know who his backup is? Dan Orlovsky, that's who. The future is bright in Tampa Bay.
BALTIMORE +3 over Green Bay
I originally had Green Bay -3 in this game and because I switched it Green Bay is 100 percent going to cover. I have been down on the Ravens through five weeks, but their 26-23 win in Miami last week has made me a believer for at least Week 6 in the Ravens. And I don't really trust the Packers away from home.
MINNESOTA -2.5 over Carolina
Need a good laugh? Here's what I said about the Panthers last week:
I know Bill Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are," and the Panthers are 1-2, but they are good.
Done laughing?
The Panthers repaid my praise for them by getting embarrassed by the Cardinals. (The Cardinals!) A 22-6 loss in a game that featured seven combined turnovers (Carolina had four and Arizona had three), including three picks for both Cam Newton and Carson Palmer.
Meanwhile the Vikings are coming off their bye and their first and season-saving win against the Steelers in London.
HOUSTON -7.5 over St. Louis
The Rams did manage to beat the Jaguars by two touchdowns to cover their 11.5-point spread, but the Jaguars were in the game for far too long and did lead for enough time that it made me think the Jaguars wouldn't finish the season 0-16 and made me realize just how bad the 2008 Lions were to finish that season 0-16.
NEW YORK JETS -2.5 over Pittsburgh
I expected the J-E-T-S to get blown out of the Georgia Dome on Monday Night Football and instead they put together a 2011 Giants-esque game-winning drive to improve to 3-2 on the season. The Giants are 0-5 on the year, the Yankees' season ended 11 days ago and in the Rangers' most recent game they were run out of San Jose in a 9-2 loss. Maybe me picking the Jets this week will restore some order in the New York sports world.
Cincinnati -7.5 over BUFFALO
Last week someone named Jeff Tuel took over for an injured E.J. Manuel in the Bills' 37-24 home loss to the Browns (who also lost their starter Brian Hoyer to a torn ACL and had to replace him with former start Brandon Weeden) on Thursday Night Football. (How great has Thursday Night Football for 17 weeks worked out?) How bad was Tuel? Bad enough that the Bills have signed someone named Thad Lewis off their practice squad to start over Tuel this week. Bills head coach Doug Marrone said, "Thad gives us the best chance to win," but he's wrong. He's not wrong that Lewis is better than Tuel because he might be, though that's not saying much. He's wrong that the Bills have a chance to win this game. They don't. Now we just need Lewis to be bad enough that the Bengals can cover.
SEATTLE -13.5 over Tennessee
Ryan Fitzpatrick finally gets a chance to start for the Titans and he gets the then-5-0 Chiefs (now 6-0) and the 4-1 Seahawks (soon to be 5-1). Sometimes things aren't fair for Harvard graduates who get $59 million contracts with $24 million of guaranteed money.
DENVER -27 over Jacksonville
At no point would I feel nervous about taking the Broncos in this game. The Broncos beat the defending Super Bowl champions by 22 points in Week 1 and beat the Eagles by 32 points in Week 4. You don't think they can beat the winless Jaguars by four touchdowns? The Rams managed to beat the Jaguars by two touchdowns last week.
SAN FRANCISCO -11.5 over Arizona
The Cardinals are on a mission to destroy my picks as best they can this season and so far they are succeeding. I can't help that I want to pick against Carson Palmer every possible chance I get. Is that so wrong?
Since the 49ers were embarrassed in Seattle and Indianapolis in back-to-back weeks in Weeks 2 and 3, they are 2-0 and have outscored their opponents (St. Louis and Houston) 69-14. The NFC favorite that was supposed to go back to the Super Bowl this season is back after their two-week hiatus and now they need to put an end to the pesky, pick-destroying Cardinals.
New Orleans +1.5 over NEW ENGLAND
The Saints proved my whole theory about them being a different team outside the Superdome wrong with a win on the road at Soldier Field. But maybe that theory was only good for Saints teams of the past? Maybe the 2013 Saints are capable of winning road games against worthy opponents? Their two-point win over the Buccaneers said they weren't, but now their eight-point win over the Bears says they are.
The difference in New Orleans is with Rob Ryan's defense, which hasn't allowed more than 18 points in a game this season (17, 14, 7, 17 and 18). In the past the Saints weren't worried about giving up points knowing they could outscore any team in the league, especially at home, but now the Saints (at least through five games) appear to be a well-balanced team and that's bad news for the rest of the NFC.
Washington +6.5 over DALLAS
I was nervous that the Cowboys were going to stop the 2013 Broncos train in the final minutes on Sunday, but Tony Romo put to rest my fears with a Tony Romo game-ending interception to keep the Giants mathematically involved in the NFC East despite having no wins. Now the Redskins are coming to the Big D with a chance to take over the division lead with a win and an Eagles loss. Everyone keeps talking about how the NFC East will be won by an 8-8 team or possibly even a 7-9 team. If it's possible I'm pulling for a 6-10 team to come out of the East. The scary thing is the Giants would have to play .545 football the rest of the way and go 6-5 just to finish 6-10 at this point. Has anyone told Antrel Rolle this?
Indianapolis -2.5 over SAN DIEGO
I keep picking against the Colts and they keep making me pay. Thankfully, I jumped off the Chargers undefeated covering streak in time for their 10-point loss to the Raiders last week.
Last week: 5-9-0
Season: 29-44-4
Alex Smith, Andy Reid, Antrel Rolle, Brian Hoyer, Cam Newton, Carson Palmer, Dan Orlovsky, Doug Marrone, E.J. Manuel, Eli Manning, Greg Schiano, Jay Cutler, Jeff Tuel, Justin Tuck, Michael Vick, Mike Glennon, Nick Foles, Rob Ryan, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Thad Lewis, Tom Coughlin, Tony Romo
NFL Week 6 Picks added by Neil Keefe on Oct 10, 2013


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NewsLocalPolice probe death of woman at 'purification ritual'
Police probe death of woman at 'purification ritual'
Larnaca CID are continuing their investigations into the death of a 34 year old Latvian woman during a 'purification ceremony' held in the Vergina area of Aradippou on Tuesday.
The woman was taken to hospital where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Police are waiting for the results of toxicological and other tests but are examining the possibility the woman died after drinking a cocktail of alcohol and a hallucinogenic drug.
Larnaca police chief Charalambos Zachariou told the Cyprus News Agency that police are looking for about 20 other people who were at the same ceremony, most of them non-Cypriots. Each paid 150 euro to participate.
Zachariou said that police have found five or six participants and were taking statements.
He said that police have testimony that participants were given a beverage which may have contained Ayahuasca, which is hallucinogenic.
A 50 year old Russian woman who lives in Limassol was arrested on suspicion of causing death by reckless or negligent act. The woman is pregnant and is in a private clinic in Limassol where she has been remanded in custody for six days.
Zachariou said that evidence has been taken from the apartments where the ceremony occurred, including the suspect's computer.
The deputy chief of the anti narcotics squad (YKAN) Stelios Serghides said a man from Colombia is suspected of having brought the substance to Cyprus.
The man left Cyprus before the ceremony and police will ask Interpol and Europol to help track him down.
https://in-cyprus.com/deadly-cocktail-at-purification-ceremony-may-have-killed-34-year-old-woman/
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CMS, DRUPAL, Editor's Tips, WORDPRESS
WordPress Vs Drupal: SEO, Security, Extensions, Content Management, Everything Compared !
June 1, 2017by Premium WOW TeamNo Comments
When it comes to content management systems, there are two names that stand out: WordPress vs Drupal. Each has its own loyal community, a long list of popular websites that it powers, as well as a wide range of features and functionality. It is common knowledge that WordPress is easier to use and more popular, as compared to Drupal that has a smaller community and a steeper learning curve. But apart from that, what really separates the two? In this article, We shall attempt to compare WordPress vs Drupal across a given set of fields.
WordPress VS Drupal: 4-Round Comparison
Round 1. Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is of utmost importance for the health of your website. If your site does not do well in terms of page ranks and search results, your online presence will suffer, badly. As a matter of fact, both WordPress vs Drupal are good with SEO. To be honest, Google (or any other search engine for that matter) does not truly care which platform you are using, as long as your content is in order and you follow the SEO norms. However, Matt Cutts of Google has stated that WordPress is a good choice in terms of SEO. And of course, WordPress users have the luxury of amazing plugins such as All in One SEO Pack and Yoast SEO that can help in terms of SEO.
However, it is also worth pointing out that Drupal is not a minnow when it comes to search engines – Yoast SEO, for example, is available for Drupal as well. Furthermore, it is often unknown to non-users of Drupal, but the software comes with SEO-friendly features that WordPress lacks in the absence of external plugins. For instance, native caching is supported by Drupal out of the box, whereas WordPress needs additional plugins for caching. Page caching leads to faster load times and that, obviously, is a very useful metric to boost your page rank.
All things considered, WordPress wins the SEO round due to the number of available plugins that can help your site's SEO in many different ways.
Round 2. Security
For anything on the internet, security is a concept that is really vital, but can never be absolutely achieved. Nothing on the internet is 100% safe or secure, nor can it ever be. We can only try to achieve a great level of security, and the same applies to both WordPress and Drupal, as well as any other similar piece of software.
Drupal has, over the years, earned a reputation for its secure and robust performance. While it has had its own share of issues, such as numerous SQL injection vulnerabilities, the community has been quick to respond and for the most part, Drupal has fared well in terms of combating security threats. The fact that the likes of The White House and The Economist prefer to rely on Drupal is a testimony to this effect.
WordPress, however, is not weak in terms of security either. While this is a known fact that WordPress gets way more security threats and malware attacks than any other software, this has more to do with WP's popularity and less to do with any potential lack of security practices.
Yet, all said and done, there is less margin for error in terms of security when using Drupal as compared to WordPress, simply because there is a ridiculously large number of plugins and themes that are readily available for WordPress, and are poorly coded and can pose a security issue for your website. The WordPress community is very quick to respond to any such issue, but there is still a window for error as an obsolete plugin can compromise a website. Since the number of such plugins and themes is smaller for Drupal, the window for error too becomes smaller.
This round goes to Drupal.
Round 3. Ability to Extend and Customize
WordPress is backed by a large number of themes and plugins (both free and premium) that you can use to extend its functionality and features. You can create eCommerce stores, news sites, portfolio sites, and a lot more with WordPress by using the right combination of plugins and themes.
Drupal too is backed by extensions and modules that can help you extend its functionality, but this number is comparatively smaller. This does not mean you cannot customize Drupal; you still can do a lot with it, but the learning curve is steeper, and you require a lot more efforts when accomplishing something unique with Drupal as you might when doing the same with WordPress. That said, as a developer, you can tweak Drupal to your heart's extent, and this is probably why we see many Drupal sites with a very unique nature. But for non-developers, WordPress is still the way to go when thinking WordPress vs Drupal.
This round goes to WordPress.
Round 4. Content Management and Performance
Both Drupal and WordPress can do a lot in terms of content management and performance. While user interface and ease of use are a matter of perspective, as what is usable and familiar for one user might be unusable for the other, there are certain areas where each of these two CMSs can prove its worth.
In terms of resources, both WordPress vs Drupal are universally supported, coded mostly in PHP, and work well on even the lesser powerful servers or shared platforms. Of course, installation of additional modules or plugins can cause either of the two CMSs to bloat down – a WordPress installation with 45 plugins is definitely likely to slow down, and the same applies to Drupal. But there has been a tendency among Drupal users to rely on lesser modules – this can be attributed to the fact that the Drupal community has a larger number of developers, whereas WordPress user base has a very lenient distribution of end users as well.
All said and done, Drupal has a very noticeable downside as compared to WordPress. Basic tasks such as updating your CMS are more time-consuming in Drupal and way easier in WordPress. Plus, the fact that there are more publications and outlets for WordPress-related content is another advantageous situation: you can learn about WordPress at a faster pace as compared to Drupal.
The final round goes to WordPress.
Drupal offers a lot of a features out of the box, such as page caching, and a lot more. It is a flexible system, and once you master the ropes, you can virtually create any genre or nature of website using Drupal.
But WordPress is still highly usable and in a better overall situation than Drupal. It is more popular (and therefore better supported), and easier to use and deploy. By using the right combination of plugins and themes, WordPress can serve your web design and development projects very well.
As you look at the points above, WordPress takes it today in our WordPress vs Drupal comparison. But we're probably a bit biased, in all honesty…
Business choice between WordPress Theme Contact form 7 corporate Editing Tool entrepreneur performance Wordpress Optimize wordpress seo Wordpress Site Optimization
Contact Form 7 Addons
Online Image Editor Tool – CrazyKala
How to keep your WordPress site secure
How to fix white screen of death "blank white screen" in WordPress
WordPress Heading Tags: H1, H2 – How And why you should use them


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High SchoolHigh SchoolCollege AdmissionsCollege Prep
College Prep: How Do You Pick The Right Major?
Nada, Zip, Zilch! What Most Freshmen Know About Picking A Major
Nia Green— >
Jan 15, 2012, 11:47 PM EST
Nia is a senior at Rich Central High School in Chicago and is a student contributor for The Mash, a weekly teen publication distributed to Chicagoland high schools.
Preparing for college can be very stressful. Trying to figure out your future career at the same time is even worse. Everyone has interests, so why not try to turn that into your major?
But what if you have no idea what to do for your future career? Some seniors say it's not that big of a deal.
"I think it's normal to not know your major; in my mind, it's too early to know what you want to do for your career," said Brittany Younger, a senior at Rich Central.
According to The Princeton Review, many students select the "undecided box" when applying for college and they wait to decide on a major later. Some students declare a major on their application, only to switch in college as their interests change.
"Studies show that students change their major three to four times before they stick to one," said Danny Mason, college advisor for the Illinois College Advising Corps.
Most of the time, students can take general education classes that count toward any major, but classes for art majors differ from classes that science or business majors have to take. So, having a general idea of what you want to major in can be a huge help.
Lance Jefferson, career research counselor at Rich Central, suggests dabbling in a field you're interested in. "Try internships or shadowing for programs like 'Future Teachers' to see if that's what you want to do for your intended major," he said.
Mason adds that using resources available is helpful too. "Branch out (and) talk to college advisors, tutors and upperclassmen," he said. "Find out what classes to take to build a foundation."
Ricola Braxton, a senior at Chicago Vocational, explained how she found out that she wanted to be a nurse. "I had real life experience having to take care of my mother," she said. "So many people said I was already good with people so I felt it just fit me."
But Lanier Zimmer, undergraduate admissions officer at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said that going to college with an undecided major isn't too bad. "I think it's good being undecided because it's hard to know what you want to do," Zimmer said. "You can explore more in college because it opens new doors."
The Mash asked some college freshmen on how to go about exploring majors and here's what they said.
"Tap into what your strengths are, make a list and do what you're passionate about because passion speaks."—ENIOLA ORENUGA, ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
"Go undecided and try to find programs like freshmen academy at my school that helps you adapt to campus life and find interesting majors."—MARCEL BRUNIOUS, GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY IN MICHIGAN
"Depending on what college you attend, they will have counselors and resources at your service to help educate you (about) the different majors. You just have to take on the responsibilities of stepping up and scheduling your appointment about your future. So just remember not to panic if you don't have it all planned out. Take initiative.—TATEANNA FOSTER, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
"Pursue something that you love so you wouldn't mind turning it into a major."—JULIAN MCCLINTON, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY AT CARBONDALE
More stories from The Mash:
Cute Vs. Cute: Confused Pugs Vs. Sneezing Baby Elephant
Tim Tebow Sets Twitter Record With 80-Yard Touchdown Pass
"All Eyes On North Korea"
High SchoolCollege AdmissionsCollege Prepcollege applications


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Home Gadgets Moto 360 smartwatch is gearing up for a T-Mobile debut, launch date...
Moto 360 smartwatch is gearing up for a T-Mobile debut, launch date set for November 12
After AT&T, T-Mobile has become the second carrier in the US to announce that it will be offering the Moto 360 smartwatch through its retail channels. This doesn't make any difference to the price or any other factors obviously, but combo deals or some other small offers can be expected to be introduced by these carriers in the future.
Since its introduction, this Android Wear gadget has been selling for $249.99. But AT&T will give you a $50 discount on it if you purchase a Moto X (2014) handset along with it. T-Mobile hasn't revealed its pricing plans, but such a deal isn't likely to be offered by the magenta carrier since the said Motorola handset is still to reach its repositories.
The Moto 360 is distinguished by the fact that it houses a round display. It was, in fact, the first mainstream smartwatch to come up with such an idea while others were content with rectangular panels. Seeing its popularity perhaps, LG got into the action and recently introduced the G Watch R which too grabs a circular display.
It is part of the second crop of Android Wear devices that are slated to go head to head during the holiday season. Among them is the Asus ZenWatch which is set to be the cheapest smartwatch among the lot, while there's even the Sony SmartWatch 3 which is distinguished by the fact that it features its own GPS modem.
Here's a quick glance at the specs of the Moto 360:
– Memory: 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage space
Like we said, November 16 is the date on which T-Mobile will begin offering the Moto 360. On the other hand, AT&T will begin selling it on November 7.
Previous articleLG L Prime and G2 Lite launched finally, resemble the LG G3 flagship
Next articleMotorola launches Moto Maxx with huge battery and beastly specs


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'So We Live: The Novels of Alexander Baron' with Susie Thomas, Nadia Valman, and Ken Worpole
Wednesday February 26, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
« 'In and Against the State: Lessons from our recent past' with Rosemary Grennan and Seth Wheeler
Autonomy Now presents: 'Occult Features of Anarchism' with Erica Lagalisse and Carl Levy »
The novelist Alexander Baron (1917-1999) was born into a working class Jewish home in Hackney, joined the Communist Party as a young man, saw the thick of battle in Sicily and Normandy, and became one of the most admired writers of post-war Britain. His first novel, From the City, From the Plough (1948), was acclaimed as the definitive novel of the Second World War, the first of a trilogy including There's No Home (1950) and The Human Kind (1953).
This was followed by a string of novels about working class life in post-war London, including The Lowlife (1963) a cult novel for many other writers ever since. In recent years his reputation has flourished with many of his fifteen novels back in print. 'So We Live: The Novels of Alexander Baron', published by Five Leaves in 2019, is the first detailed study of the man and his work.
Our guests, literary critic Susie Thomas, historian Nadia Valman, and social historian Ken Worpole, will each take a distinctive approach to the work of Baron and consider why his reputation and his work are currently enjoying such a serious revival.
Wednesday February 26, 2020
Housmans Bookshop
5 Caledonian Road
London, N1 9DX
Tickets are not yet available
Prof Judy Wajcman Trade Unionism, Work and Feminism Library Sale. 19th Aug 2022 onwards


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Saving the World: Acting Local, Thinking Global
by Cesaints AltruHelp, Altruism & Kindness, Social Entrepreneurship, Volunteering	• Tags: Act Local, Do Something Awards, Giving Back, Real Change, Volunteering
It's not hard to believe that the ever-growing world population is close to reaching 7 billion people this year. What's truly surprising, though, is that after experiencing advances in technology coupled with the staggering pace of development in the way we communicate, global social issues such as: health, agriculture, AIDS, and democracy, among others, would appear to have been left in the wake of progress.
So I wondered: Where does the disconnect between humans, technology and social responsibility lie? Could it be that when it comes to addressing social issues, a global solution has thwarted us from acting locally? In looking for the answer, I first thought of my personal approach in helping solve world problems:
I was truly committed, and felt responsible as an individual to get involved and save the world, but: Where and how to start? I tried donating money to organizations in other countries; still, deep inside I knew I could do much more. I discovered that having global perspective on social issues triggered something within me, but I concluded that thinking global yet acting local, would allow me to get hands-on and achieve REAL impact. Turns out I wasn't alone…
Young people (Gen Y'ers), those under the age of 25 who represent nearly half of the world's population (almost three billion people) are creating tremendous IMPACT. Gen Y is turning things around and determined to make a difference in their communities and the rest of the world. These "Millennials" are: tech-savvy, family centric, goal oriented, team supported forces of good.
The recent Do Something Awards ceremony is an example of how young people are taking a stand on addressing local social issues: Sarah Cronk, 18, from Bettendorf, IA, watched her older brother Charlie struggle to fit-in during high school because of his disabilities. Inspired by Charlie, Sarah co-founded the first high school-based inclusive cheerleading squad in the nation. Sarah, was awarded with the Do Something Awards grand prize of $100,000 to fuel up her organization. Today, The Sparkle Effect has generated 26 squads in 15 states in the U.S. and South Africa.
The Do Something organization started in 1993 with the purpose of helping young people "rock causes" they cared about, creating a culture of volunteerism using the inclusive and influential power of the internet to get teens to "doing good" OFFLINE.
One of AltrUHelp's main purposes is to serve as an amplifying platform showcasing all the "good" people are doing with Social Impact Profiles while connecting these people based on their action in local communities. I encourage you to read all the Do Something finalists stories and discover what these Millennials have already learned; acting local, within your own community has more impact than just wishing you could change the world!
Altruism in the wake of Irene
9/11 National Day of Service


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SHOCKER: Bush's new domestic policy advisor unethical /
SHOCKER: Bush's new domestic policy advisor unethical
Melissa McEwan
The WaPo reports: "Karl Zinsmeister, President Bush's new domestic policy adviser, acknowledged he did something wrong when he took a newspaper profile of himself, altered quotes and text, and then posted it on a Web site without noting the changes."
In one example, the original article attributed to Zinsmeister this quote: "People in Washington are morally repugnant, cheating, shifty human beings."
But, on the institute site, it appeared as: "I learned in Washington that there is an 'overclass' in this country stocked with cheating, shifty human beings that's just as morally repugnant as our 'underclass.'"
I'll ignore, for now, the mind-addling dismay of a domestic policy advisor who refers to the American underclass (a term generally used to refer to endemic poverty stretching across generations with little means of escape and most perpetuated by conservative policies) as "morally repugnant," since that would require a whole other post, with at least one tangent about how equal parts nauseating and refreshing it is to see someone of Zinsmeister's position be so nakedly honest about how not compassionately conservative he is.
After the profile was published in the Syracuse New Times, Zinsmeister reposted it on the website of the American Enterprise Institute, for whom he serves as editor in chief, making the surreptitious edits because, he claims, he was trying to "correct the record while protecting a young journalist who had made mistakes." Said young journalist, Justin Park, however, is rather surprised by the explanation, considering that "he had received a laudatory e-mail from Zinsmeister after the profile was published."
Zinsmeister shrugs off the whole thing by saying he expects "people to dig through his vast writings as he prepares to start his White House job."
There's so much insincerity in the political discourse. I write very bluntly and I know that, and the president knew that when he picked me. That's somewhat of the bond between us.
Aww. Very sweet. I bet the bonding over being lying douchebags is worth its weight in gold, too.
As for digging through his past writings, well, Garance Franke-Ruta has obliged, finding some gems about Zinsmeister's attitude toward the press that might explain his ethical lapse more plausibly than his stated concern for a young journalist.
(Tapped)
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You are here: Home > What's On > Stuart Laws Is All
Stuart Laws Is All
Caroline of Brunswick
39 Ditchling Road
BN1 4SB
Acclaimed gilet-wearing stand-up, filmmaker, goalkeeper and viral Twitter star Stuart Laws is heading out on his first tour. And the stakes couldn't be higher.
Recently, Stuart risked everything in a Vegas poker tournament and his life changed forever. In Stuart Laws Is All In, he asks life's big questions: is he a winner or a loser? Can he burn a candle at both ends? And has he been infected by the Willennium Bug?
Stuart has featured on Radio 4, is regular tour support for James Acaster, produced Acaster's four Netflix specials, and can be seen on stand-up streaming service NextUp Comedy.
Following a hugely successful run the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, Stuart Laws Is All In heads to Brighton with a show about making difficult decisions, choosing different paths and gettin' jiggy wit' it.
twitter: https://twitter.com/carolinepub
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolineofbrunswick/


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Call for applications – Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme
Since its establishment by the Research Grants Council (RGC) in 2009,
the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme has brought outstanding talents from
around the world to Hong Kong to undertake PhD studies in the city's world-class
research universities in fields ranging from humanities, business and social
sciences, to engineering, medical and physical sciences. Candidates who are
seeking admission as new full time PhD students in one of Hong Kong's eight
public universities are welcome to apply by 1 December 2018.
Hong Kong is an innovative and open city offering high quality of life
with its vibrant cultural scene and diverse nature, including beaches, mountains
and country parks. The city's excellent university programmes are taught in
English, and the universities adopt international standards in curriculum design as
well as quality assurance. Of the eight public universities in Hong Kong, three are
ranked in the world's top 50 by the Quacquarelli Symonds World University
Rankings 2019 and three are ranked in Asia's top 10 by the Times Higher
Education Asia University Rankings 2018.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG)
is committed to fostering scientific advancement and nurturing research talent. In
her 2018 Policy Address, the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, announced an
additional injection of HK$ 20 billion (approx. EUR 2.2 billion) into the Research
Endowment Fund set up by the RGC to strengthen the research capabilities of
Hong Kong's universities, and the setting up of a scientific research matching
fund of HK$ 3 billion (approx. EUR 330 million) to increase the source of
research funding.
In the 2019/2020 academic year, 250 PhD Fellowships will be awarded to
talents from around the world. The Fellowship provides an annual stipend of
HK$ 240,000 (approx. EUR 26,400) and a conference and research-related travel
allowance of HK$ 10,000 (approx. EUR 1,100) per year to each awardee for a
period of up to three years. Eligible candidates can submit applications online
through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme Electronic System by 1
December 2018. For more details about studying and living in Hong Kong, please
visit http://studyinhongkong.edu.hk.
To inform young talents from Central and Eastern Europe about the
various opportunities that Hong Kong has to offer, the HKETO Berlin will take
part in the EINSTIEG education fair in Munich from 23 to 24 November 2018
and the BeSt education fair in Vienna from 7 to 10 March 2019.
About HKETO Berlin
HKETO Berlin is the official Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade
Hong Kong Economic and matters in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak
Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Kilian Becker
Head, Public Relations
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin
Tel: +49 (0) 30 22 66 77 24 2
Fax: +49 (0)30 22 66 77 28 8
E-mail: kilian_becker@hketoberlin.gov.hk
HKETO Berlin


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Drilling Down on Energy Value with Jeff Waters
Episode 91: Democrat Policies Helped Cause Today's High Oil Prices
In this week's podcast, Simon Lack explains why Democrats are partly to blame for high energy prices
US Natural Gas Takes Center Stage
Europe's realization that it needs a strategy to ensure energy security has provided a further boost to US natural gas stocks. Last week was especially good – NextDecade (NEXT) added another customer for their proposed Rio Grande Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export facility.
By coincidence we had just interviewed Matthew Mott, SVP of their Next Carbon Solutions division. President Biden also committed to increase US LNG shipments to Europe by 15 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM), equivalent to 1.45 Billion Cubic Feet per Day (BCF/D). US natural gas was already cheap, abundant and the biggest source of global CO2 emissions declines to date (see NextDecade Sees A Bright Future). Following Russia's war on Ukraine, it is now part of Europe's energy security too.
Biden's commitment grabbed headlines but his advisers will know that on current trend 2022 US LNG exports to Europe will already exceed last year's by more than 15 BCM. LNG facilities take years to build, which provides visibility into how fast our export capacity will grow. Germany has no regasification facilities at which to receive LNG, and the most optimistic forecasts are for one to be in service by the end of next year. The market for Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs) is suddenly hot because only a handful are available and they offer Germany a faster route to importing LNG. But not all will operate in the frigid waters off Germany's north coast. Energy security went from irrelevant to critical in Europe. Getting there won't be elegant.
Nonetheless, the German government hopes to be no longer reliant on Russian gas imports by the summer of 2024. So far it's been in both Germany and Russia's interests to maintain the flow of oil and gas. Germany has no near-term alternative, and Russia is enjoying the higher prices that their invasion has precipitated.
Russia is on notice that it will need to find alternative markets for the gas Germany will no longer want. That will require Russia to build new pipeline infrastructure, likely to their east coast for export as LNG. Western sanctions may impede the timely construction. Since the break in trade between the two countries is so well anticipated, Russia's history suggests the timing will ultimately be at their choosing and not necessarily when Germany is ready to cut imports entirely.
It's not a leap to suggest that energy security for any country requires minimizing pipeline imports, since they create dependence on a single supplier that seaborne imports avoid. LNG trade is going to keep growing. And while increased investment in renewables is a natural move to improve security, their input prices are rising too.
US LNG trade is all run by commercial entities. Although Biden's commitment drew attention, the Federal government isn't about to get into the natural gas business. More meaningful would be an improved regulatory process that isn't beholden to the liberal progressive wing of the Democrat party. Hewing to their anti-fossil fuel rhetoric has jeopardized Democrat control of the House in November – gasoline prices were already rising before Russia's invasion. There are signs the Administration is tilting (pivoting would be too strong) towards a more balanced view of the energy transition.
For example, FERC recently shelved an earlier proposal to include the emissions ultimately generated by the oil/gas passing through any proposed pipeline they were considering for approval. This could even have applied to projects already under construction. Conveniently, last week this led to certificates being approved for two natural gas pipelines (the Evangeline Pass Expansion and Columbia Gulf Transmission's East Lateral Xpress) that link up to Venture Global's Plaquemines LNG export facility, among others (see Baby, I Got It – Could The U.S. Alone Meet Biden's Call For 15 Bcm More LNG To The EU?).
The stalled Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project run by Equitrans is another example where the Administration could signal a more enlightened policy. While courts can rescind previously issued permits from Federal agencies that were the basis for $BNs of invested capital, energy companies will correctly assess a hostile environment for new projects. Fixing this might require legislation, but like the Keystone XL pipeline that Biden canceled immediately upon taking office, capricious policy has its costs.
The path to increased LNG exports is visible but long. Because it typically takes up to five years from Final Investment Decision (FID) to start-up, it's possible to project out export capacity well into the future. Of 18.9 BCF/D in projects deemed "High/Medium probability" by Cowen and Company, 11.9 BCF/D are in North America. Russia's Novatek project may struggle to complete because of western sanctions.
Of the 20 BCF/D in US projects awaiting FID, only 6 BCF/D are on the High/Medium Probability list, whereas we think most if not all of these will eventually be done.
Europe's energy security and US LNG profitability are now more closely linked. What remains to be seen is whether Administration policy will pragmatically move from a tilt to a pivot away from its extremist liberal wing. So far US LNG has done more to reduce global emissions than anything else.
We have three funds that seek to profit from this environment:
Energy Mutual Fund
Energy ETF
Inflation Fund
Please see important Legal Disclosures.
Interview with Michael Mott, SVP Next Carbon Solutions
This week's podcast is an interview with Michael Mott, SVP at Next Carbon Solutions, a division of NextDecade.
Following our podcast taping, NextDecade announced a 20 year Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export agreement with Guangdong Energy, a Chinese utility. NextDecade stock soared as the whole US LNG sector responded positively to increasing demand, most notably from Europe. The podcast is longer than usual – around 30 minutes – but very timely.
Episode 90: The Democrats Struggle With Energy Policy
In this week's podcast, Simon Lack discusses the holes in Democrat energy policies
Episode 89: Energy Transition or Security
In this week's podcast, Simon Lack discusses the conflict between progressive climate policies and energy security
Episode 88: The End OF Modern Monetary Theory
In this week's podcast, Simon Lack explains why MMT has failed
Episode 87: The New Outlook For Energy
In this week's podcast, Simon Lack discusses the new outlook investors have on the energy sector
Episode 86: Elon Musk On The Energy Transition
In this week's podcast, Simon Lack discusses interesting comments from Elon Musk's on the energy transition
Episode 85: Incoherent Energy Policy
In this week's podcast, Simon Lack exposes incoherent progressive energy policies.


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What is the definition of an "assault weapon" in California?
California defines an assault weapon by the firearm's specific make, model, and series, as well as by its general characteristics. The list includes
semiautomatic centerfire rifles,
pistols, and
shotguns.
Firearms that fall under the definition of assault weapons are generally illegal within the state. Possessing an assault weapon is a wobbler offense. Manufacturing, selling, or transporting an assault weapon is a felony.
Assault weapons are generally illegal in California.
How does California define an assault weapon?
California defines an assault weapon in 3 different ways:
by make and model,
by series, and
by certain generic characteristics.
Each method of defining an assault weapon is a Category.
A firearm is an assault weapon if it is identified as such by any of these Categories.1
The breadth of these definitions makes state law in California one of the strictest for gun control. The definitions reach past machine guns and cover many semiautomatic firearms that are popular with gun owners, as well.
What is a Category 1 assault weapon?
Category 1 assault weapons are firearms that were named in the original Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989. This list is now found at California Penal Code section 30510(a) through (c). The list consists mainly of semiautomatic rifles, but also includes some shotguns and semiautomatic pistols.
The list of Category 1 assault weapons covers the following military-style rifles:
all AK series models, including the following manufacturers and models:
Made in China:
AK,
AKM,
AKS,
AK47,
AK47S,
56S,
84S, and
86S.
Norinco:
Poly Technologies:
AKS, and
AK47.
MAADI:
AK47, and
ARM.
UZI,
Galil,
Beretta AR-70,
CETME Sporter,
Colt AR-15 series,
Daewoo:
K-1,
Max 1,
AR 100, and
AR 110C.
Fabrique Nationale:
FAL,
LAR,
FNC,
308 Match, and
MAS 223,
Heckler and Koch (HK):
94, and
PSG-1.
RPB Industries Inc.:
sM10, and
sM11.
SWD Inc. M11,
SKS with a detachable magazine,
AMT,
PE-57,
SG 550, and
SG 551.
Springfield Armory:
BM59, and
SAR-48.
Sterling MK-6,
Steyer AUG,
Valmet:
M62S,
M71S, and
M78S.
Armalite AR-180,
Bushmaster Assault Rifle,
Calico M-900,
J&R ENG M-68, and
Weaver Arms Nighthawk.2
The following pistols are also in Category 1 in California:
Encom:
MP-9, and
MP-45.
Advance Armament Inc. M-11,
Military Armament Corp. Ingram M-11,
Intratec TEC-9,
Sites Spectre,
Calico M-950, and
Bushmaster Pistol.3
Finally, Category 1 firearms also include the following shotguns:
Franchi:
SPAS 12, and
LAW 12.
Striker 12, and
Streetsweeper type S/S Inc. SS/12.4
Category 2 assault weapons are firearms that are a part of an AR or AK "series."
By manufacturer and model, AK series firearms that are Category 2 assault weapons are:
American Arms:
AK-F 39,
AK-Y 39,
AK-C 47, and
AK-F 47.
Arsenal:
SLR, and
B-West AK-47
Hesse Arms:
Model 47, and
Wieger STG 940 rifle.
Inter Ordinance:
RPK,
M-97, and
AK-47.
Kalashnikov USA Hunter Rifle / Saiga,
MAADI Co.:
AK 47,
ARM,
MISR, and
MISTR.
MARS Pistol,
Mitchell Arms, Inc.:
M-90,
AK-47,
AK-47 Cal .308,
RPK.
Hunter Rifle,
MAK 90,
NHM:
90-2, and
91 Sport.
RPK Rifle.
Ohio Ordinance Works:
AK-74, and
ROMAK 991.
Hunter Rifle, and
WUM (all models).
Category 2 assault weapons also include the following AR-15 series firearms:
American Spirit USA model,
Armalite:
AR10,
M15, and
Golden Eagle.
Bushmaster XM15,
Colt:
AR-15,
Law Enforcement 6920,
Match Target, and
Dalphon B.F.D.,
DPMS Panther,
Eagle Arms:
EA-15 A2 H-BAR,
EA-15 E1, and
M15.
Frankford Arsenal AR-15,
Hesse Arms HAR 15A2,
Knights:
RAS,
SR-15, and
SR-25.
Les Baer Ultimate AR,
Olympic Arms:
Car-97, and
PCR.
Ordnance, Inc., AR-15,
Palmetto SGA,
Professional Ordnance, Inc.:
Carbon 15 Rifle, and
Carbon 15 Pistol.
PWA (all models),
Rock River Arms, Inc.:
Car A2,
Car A4 Flattop,
LE Tactical Carbine,
NM A2 – DCM Legal,
Standard A-2, and
Standard A-4 Flattop.
Wilson Combat AR-15.5
These firearms were not explicitly banned by the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act. When the constitutionality of that Act was challenged in 2000, the California Supreme Court included these firearms under the assault weapon definition.6
Category 3 assault weapons are those that have certain distinguishing characteristics.
Semiautomatic, centerfire rifles that are in Category 3 include those that:
have a fixed capacity of more than 10 rounds,
have an overall length of less than 30 inches, or
do not have a fixed capacity, but have any of the following:
a pistol grip that conspicuously protrudes beneath the weapon's action,
a forward pistol grip,
a thumbhole, folding, or telescoping stock,
a flash suppressor, or
a grenade or flare launcher.7
The following semiautomatic pistols are Category 3 assault weapons:
those that have a fixed magazine of more than 10 rounds, or
those that do not have a fixed magazine, but does have one of the following aspects:
a threaded barrel that is capable of accepting a flash suppressor, silencer, or forward handgrip,
a second handgrip,
a barrel shroud that allows the weapon to be fired without burning the user's hand, except a slide that encloses the barrel, or
the capacity to accept a detachable magazine outside the pistol grip.8
Shotguns with a revolving cylinder are Category 3 assault weapons, as are semiautomatic shotguns if they:
do not have a fixed magazine, or
have both of the following:
either a folding or telescoping stock, and
either a thumbhole stock, vertical handgrip, or a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously under the weapon's action.9
Finally, other semiautomatic centerfire firearms are Category 3 assault weapons if they:
have an overall length of less than 30 inches,
have a fixed magazine with the capacity to carry more than 10 rounds, or
does not have a fixed magazine, but does have any of the following:
a pistol grip that conspicuously protrudes beneath the action of the weapon,
a flare or grenade launcher,
a flash suppressor,
a threaded barrel that can take a silencer, flash suppressor, or forward handgrip,
a barrel shroud to protect the user's hand from burning, unless it is a slide that encloses the barrel, or
the capacity to take a detachable magazine somewhere outside the pistol grip.10
These are sometimes referred to as "SB 23 assault weapons" because they were added to the state's ban by Senate Bill 23 in 1999.11 People who already owned one of these firearms were allowed to register them with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) between January 1 and December 31, 2000.
Are there any firearms that are exempted?
Some firearms that would fall under the definition of an assault weapon provided by California law are specifically exempted. These include:
antique firearms, and
pistols used in Olympic target shooting events, including the:
Benelli:
MP90 .22LR and .32 S&W Long, and
MP95 .22LR and .32 S&W Long.
Hammerli:
280 .22LR and .32 S&W Long, and
SP20 .22LR and .32 S&W Long.
Pardini:
GOP .22 Short,
GP-Schumann .22 Short,
HP .32 S&W Long,
MP .32 S&W Long,
SP .22LR, and
SPE .22LR.
Walther:
GSP .22LR and .32 S&W Long,
OSP .22 Short, and
OSP-2000 .22 Short.12
Californians can use, possess, transfer, and import these types of handguns without violating the law.
Did a court overturn the California assault weapons ban?
On June 4, 2021, a federal judge in San Diego, Roger Benitez, overturned California's assault weapons ban, ruling that it violated the Second Amendment's right to bear arms.13
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the ruling, saying that it was a threat to public safety by allowing for gun violence and more mass shootings. The attorney general for the state of California, Rob Bonta, has appealed the decision.
On June 21, the Ninth Circuit issued a stay on the judge's ruling to leave the ban in place until the appeals could be resolved.14
On November 30, 2021, this ban on large-capacity magazines (LCMs) was reinstated.15 An en banc panel for the Ninth Circuit said that the ban does not violate self-defense rights.16 This overturns the prior ruling by a three-judge 9th Circuit panel.17
These gun rights rulings come nearly 3 decades after the laws first passed. However, the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decisions expanded gun rights. Lawsuits challenging California's laws are based on these decisions.
Harrott v. County of Kings, 25 Cal.4th 1138 (2001).
California Penal Code 30510(a) PC.
California Penal Code 30510(b) PC.
California Penal Code 30510(c) PC.
California Penal Code 30510(e) and (f) PC.
Kasler v. Lockyer, 23 Cal.4th 472 (2000).
California Penal Code 30515(a)(1) through (3) PC.
California Penal Code 30515(a)(4) and (5) PC.
California Penal Code 30515(a)(9) through (11) PC.
Senate Bill 23 (1999).
California Penal Code 30515(d).
Miller v. Bonta, 19-cv-1537-BEN (2021).
Miller v. Bonta, No. 21-55608 (June 21, 2021).
Maura Dolan, U.S. appeals court upholds California's ban on large-capacity firearms magazines, Los Angeles Times (November 30, 2021). Duncan v. Becerra, 366 F. Supp. 3d 1131 (S.D. Cal. 2019).
Same. See also Duncan v. Becerra, No. 19-55376 (9th Cir. 2020).
Same. See also Don Thompson, "9th Circuit eyes California ban on high-capacity magazines," Associated Press News (Feb. 26, 2021).
Neil Shouse
A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.


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Can Painting Represent Possible Version Of Reality?
Is art a reality?
What is a realistic painting called?
How do I tell if a painting is valuable?
What is a representation of realities of this world?
What makes a painting look realistic?
What is the reality of life?
Does art always have a purpose and a function?
How does art relate to reality?
How art can change your life?
Is art a reflection of reality?
What makes a reality the reality?
What are the two systems of representation?
How does art reflect your personality?
What is an artist's role in society?
Does art always have a purpose?
Why does my painting look flat?
Art cannot become reality, cannot realise itself without cancelling itself as Art in all its forms, even in its most destructive, most minimal, most 'living' forms..
Hyperrealism is a genre of painting and sculpture resembling a high-resolution photograph.
Unless someone did their research, they may not have even realized that the painting was valuable….9 Tips on How to Tell if a Painting is ValuableFind Out Who Owned It Beforehand. … Figure Out Who the Artist Is. … Check the Condition of the Piece. … Consider the Subject Matter. … Check the Frame.More items…•
Representation of reality may refer to simile, similarity and symbolization of the world when we take it as a transformation of myth. The idea of representation at its simple level involves our understanding for the action of representation and how we define that act.
Get Your Values Right Value is how light or dark a color is and it is widely considered to be one of the most important elements of a painting. If you are able to paint with accurate values, then your painting will have a quality of realism regardless of how accurate your edges, colors, shapes and other elements are.
Life was meant to be lived freely not with full of unrealistic expectations. If you desire/expect something, make sure that you work hard enough to turn that into a reality sooner or later all by yourself. Never expect anything out of someone.
Yes. The function of Art is subjective but nonetheless, Art will always function as Ar until the object is not considered as art anymore. Everything that has a purpose has a function.
Art should transform the bareness of existence into something extra-ordinary, supernatural, even beautiful. It is "beauty" (esthetics) that distinguishes art from everything else. Art must be beautiful, no matter what the subject. … All art forms seem to depend on transforming reality into the illusion of reality.
Art Opens Your Heart and Feeds Your Mind Looking at art provides an opportunity to exercise critical thinking, experience a renewed self-awareness, and potentially even a deeper connection to others and their experiences, as we share what we feel and try to interpret what we see.
Williams says that art, as Marx understood it is a reflection of reality, a reproduction of "the base" as a "superstructure." But Williams points out the problem of understanding reality as a base or a static object.
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, reality is the totality of a system, known and unknown.
There are two systems of representation. 1- Mental Representation- all things are attached to concepts in the mind. Meaning, thus, depends on these concepts in our minds- they represent the world for us. We can communicate our ideas to others because we share conceptual mental maps with them.
The positioning of people or objects and colors reflects the artists' personality. … This is an indicator of her personality showing in her work. Thus, if you ever wonder why an artwork has a hidden or an obvious meaning behind it, then you might be tapping into the artists' personality.
Art plays an important role in shaping the culture of a society. While some say that the purpose of an artist is to express the beauty of the world around them, others claim that real value of an art piece comes from its ability to express truth in a way that influences people for the better.
Art does not have to have a purpose – it does not exist in order to teach, to urge a moral point, to entertain, to distract, to amuse, to serve beauty, to support a revolution, to disgust, to challenge, to stimulate or to cheer; it exists chiefly for its own sake.
A still life often contains a diversity of objects, with different forms, textures and hues. … Expressing shadows as black with defined edges, making the still life painting appear to contain "holes." Allowing the light source to fall directly onto the objects, making them appear flat.
How Does Baking Soda And Lemon Juice Remove Hair Dye?
Does baking soda remove hair dye? Baking soda can also
Is Someone A Common Noun?
Is Monday a proper noun? 2 Answers. Monday is considered
Quick Answer: What Is The Abstract Noun Of The Adjective Long?
What is the abstract noun for? An abstract noun is
Question: Is Amazon Prime Video Legit?
Is Amazon Prime video any good? Watching shows like
Quick Answer: What Is An Enlightened Being?
What does it mean to be spiritually enlightened?


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Spread Eagle to release new studio album "Subway to the Stars" on August 9th 2019
Spread Eagle is back and will release their first album in over 26 years, "Subway to the Stars" on August 9th, 2019, via Frontiers Music srl.
The fans can check out the first single and video for "Sound of Speed", below.
"Our primary intention was to go back to the egg. Not to the debut album, but even before then. When we were unsigned, rehearsing in the East Village NYC and just putting our first songs together. We worked every day and night on our dream. We were a gang and no one could tell us we couldn't accomplish something. That's when we were at our rawest and nastiest and the intensity was completely off the meter. Of course, you can never truly go back in time, everyone learns and evolves; however, I wanted to remember that feeling of writing razor riffs in those basement spaces in 1989, then add it to current experiences", says founder and bassist Rob De Luca on what fans can expect.
On first single "Sound of Speed", De Luca continues: "We wanted something that had a strong sense of propulsion. After that verse riff popped out, the chorus and other sections flowed effortlessly. From very early on in the writing process, I felt this should be the song to reintroduce Spread Eagle. I was happy that Frontiers had that exact same vision for it. As I said above, it invokes the spirit of our inception with some additional skills that we've learned".
Pre-order the album here. A limited amount of signed copies of the album available for pre-order here.
1. Subway to the Stars
2. 29Th of February
3. Sound of Speed
4. Dead Air
5. Grand Scam
6. More Wolf Than Lamb
7. Cut Through
8. Little Serpentina
9. Antisocial Butterfly
10. Gutter Rhymes for Valentines
11. Solitaire
Spread Eagle burst upon the hard rock scene of the late 80s/early 90s playing a brand of rock that hailed straight from the mean streets of New York City. When Paul DiBartolo (guitar), Rob De Luca (bass), and Tommi Gallo (drums) moved to New York City and met up with Ray West (vocals), East Coast Streetmetal was born. The group was quickly snatched up and signed to MCA/Universal Records, then sent straight into the legendary Record Plant studios to record their debut album. The self-titled debut was produced by Charlie Gambetta and featured a gritty and dangerous sound, wailing vocals and razor sharp guitar, demonstrated through songs such as "Switchblade Serenade", "Scratch Like a Cat", and "Broken City". Four years later, after the release and touring of their second album, "Open to the Public" (also produced by Gambetta), the band took an extended break and went about their own personal projects.
Spread Eagle reformed in 2006 under the direction of Ray West and Rob DeLuca (who has also worked with UFO and Sebastian Bach) along with two new members, Ziv Shalev (guitar) and Rik De Luca (drums). The band has been together ever since and decided to start production on a new album, scheduled for release in August 2019 on Frontiers. Songs for "Subway to the Stars" were put together in the Music Building in NYC, which is the exact same place where the songs for their debut album were rehearsed and written. Recording took place at Studio E in Brooklyn, NY with Grammy Award winning engineer Tom Camuso. The new album does not disappoint and picks off up where the band left off. Spread Eagle is a welcome addition to the Frontiers' family, where they will become yet another vital band from the 80s/90s rock scene to release amazing new music in the 21st century!
Ray West - Lead vocals, percussion
Rob De Luca - Bass, vocals
Ziv Shalev - Guitar
Rik De Luca - Drums
SpreadEagle.us
www.facebook.com/SpreadEagleNYC


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Man arrested over abduction, killing of 5-year-old
Bauchi State Police Command said it has arrested a 25-year-old man, Anas Auwal over the alleged kidnap and gruesome murder of a five-year-old, Abba Yahuza…
By Hassan Ibrahim
Sat, 12 Nov 2022 6:39:22 WAT
Bauchi State Police Command said it has arrested a 25-year-old man, Anas Auwal over the alleged kidnap and gruesome murder of a five-year-old, Abba Yahuza in Tsangaya village, Ningi Local Government of Area of the state.
The command's spokesman, SP Ahmed Wakil who disclosed this yesterday, said preliminary investigation revealed that on October 11, the suspect lured the victim into his room with sweets and later, called the victim's father on phone and threatened him to bring the sum of N5 million as ransom.
Inside the sorry state of Plateau colonial cattle market
Will Nigeria's sports industry be the jinx breaker?
Wakil explained that the suspect later came to realize that the victim knew him and that his identity would be revealed if he released him, adding that "the suspect decided to hack the victim to death in his room and waited until nighttime, bundled the victim in a sack and buried the body in a shallow grave."
Wakil noted that the suspect has confessed to the crime and that the commissioner of police in the state, CP Umar Mamman Sanda has directed that the suspect be charged to court for prosecution.
Woman held over death of 10-year-old
Police recover 15 firearms, 146 rounds of ammuniton from suspects in Zamfara
You have a case to answer, police tell Prof sent to prison over assault
Police in Enugu seek to reunite woman with family


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David Daniels
Columbia College to host Metropolitan Opera auditions
Columbia College is one of the locations for the 60th annual Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the largest and longest running singing competition in America. Singers from across the country will come to campus to perform in front of three judges provided by the Metropolitan Opera. More than 1,500 singers between the ages of 20 and 30 will participate in the National Council Auditions in locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. The public is invited to enjoy the music and hear outstanding talent. The competition begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 at the R. Wright Spears Center for the Arts. Admission is free. Three winners will be chosen from South Carolina, and each will receive $1,000 and the right to go to the Southeastern Regional Auditions in Atlanta. The Atlanta winner will compete in the Grand National Finals on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York before an audience that includes representatives of opera houses from around the world. Winners of the Grand National Finals each receive an award of $15,000 and great exposure for their operatic careers. Previous winners include Renee Flemming, Deborah Voight, Thomas Hampson, Jessye Norman and South Carolina's own David Daniels, who is currently one of the most popular counter-tenors in the world. For more information, visit Columbia College's website. Via: Columbia College


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[ARCHIVED] Tahoe Conservancy to Host Community Meeting on Housing Solutions at the Y
South Lake Tahoe, CA- The California Tahoe Conservancy and its State and local partners invite the public to a community meeting to discuss opportunities to help address the housing crisis in South Lake Tahoe:
WHAT: Community Meeting: Housing Solutions at the South Tahoe "Y"
WHEN: 6:30-8:30 pm, December 11, 2019
WHERE: South Tahoe High School, South Lake Tahoe (Student Union – Fallen Leaf Lake Room)
For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations please contact info@tahoe.ca.gov. Five days advance notice of need for accommodations is requested. Kids are welcome.
The Housing Crisis Hurts South Shore Families
According to a study by the Tahoe Prosperity Center, homes, both rental and ownership, are becoming less affordable for local South Lake Tahoe residents.
The household income needed to afford the median-priced home in the South Shore is between $110,000 to $130,000. The actual median income for a South Shore household is $68,000.
The percentage of residents occupying homes they own is dropping.
Half of employers surveyed have had employees leave or refuse job offers because they could not find suitable housing.
Local affordable rental apartment complexes such as the Aspens and Sierra Gardens have waiting lists of over 150 households.
Conservancy Role
The Conservancy is a State agency, established in 1985, with a mission to lead California's efforts to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Based on a significant multi-agency collaborative effort underway to address housing affordability at Tahoe, the Conservancy is partnering with the California Department of General Services (DGS) and Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to explore opportunities to provide housing on multiple sites in South Lake Tahoe. This includes two parcels along Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Tata Lane. Both properties are subject to the City of South Lake Tahoe's Tahoe Valley Area Plan.
Tahoe is receiving additional support and capacity from DGS and HCD following Governor Gavin Newsom's executive order to make some types of state land available to develop affordable housing.
Your Input is Critical
The Conservancy and its State and local partners want your input on the most needed community benefits and to get your feedback on the community engagement process for affordable housing development.
What defines a community for you?
What attracted you to Tahoe and keeps you here?
What community benefits are most needed here?
What amenities are missing from the neighborhood around these Conservancy properties?
About These Conservancy Properties
The Conservancy acquired the 9.75-acre parcel at 1860 Lake Tahoe Boulevard and the 1.6-acre parcel at 1029 Tata Lane in 1989. At the time of acquisition, the Conservancy and the City of South Lake Tahoe envisioned that the non-sensitive portions of both properties could be used for purposes consistent with the future area plan.
In contrast with most of its nearly 4,700 properties in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the Conservancy Board has designated 1860 Lake Tahoe Boulevard and 1029 Tata Lane as "asset lands" that could support sustainable development consistent with local area plans.
About the Tahoe Valley Area Plan
The Area Plan was created by the City of South Lake Tahoe with community members and stakeholders at the planning table. This plan reflects the community's vision for its future. These Conservancy properties at 1860 Lake Tahoe Boulevard and 1029 Tata Lane are located in the Area Plan's Town Center Mixed Use Corridor. Allowable uses include a rich mixture of retail, service, public facility, recreation, entertainment, and housing organized in a compact development pattern, creating an aesthetically-pleasing and safe environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and automobile drivers.
Contact Conservancy Staff
Kevin Prior, (530) 543-6016, kevin.prior@tahoe.ca.gov
Aimee Rutledge, (530) 307-3380, aimee.rutledge@tahoe.ca.gov