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US fights Taliban on another front: public relations
May 13, 2009 | The Christian Science Monitor
Jason Motlagh
Reproduced with permission from The Christian Science Monitor.
Herat, Afghanistan- More than a week has passed since a United States bombardment killed civilians in western Afghanistan, but the battle between coalition forces and the Taliban has only intensified on another front: public relations.
Civilian deaths caused by US, NATO, and Afghan operations – which, according to the United Nations, topped 800 last year – have long provoked public fury that the Taliban can exploit. But in response, the US has also begun to control the message, often by providing a counternarrative or admitting responsibility.
Last Monday's controversial airstrike in Farah Province killed some 140 villagers, according to Afghan officials. If correct, that would constitute the largest case of civilian deaths since 2001. The attack provoked outbursts of street violence and chants of anti-American slogans.
But the US countered that a "number" of people had died in the engagement – and it blamed the Taliban for using people as human shields.
The controversy then worsened when it emerged over the weekend that chemical weapons may have been used in the clash. The US military rejected that claim and went on the offensive Monday, when Col. Greg Julian, the top spokesman in Afghanistan, alleged that Taliban militants have employed white phosphorus – a highly flammable material that causes severe burns – at least four times in Afghanistan over the past two years.
Just hours later, another spokesperson highlighted 44 documented cases where militants in Afghanistan may have used the chemical in mortar attacks and homemade bombs, most recently in an attack last Thursday on a NATO outpost in Logar Province just south of Kabul.
Homayoun Shuaid, a journalist based in Kandahar, says that when he called Qazi Yusuf Ahmadi, the militants' southern spokesman, to get a reaction on the US claims, they were dismissed as a "bunch of lies and propaganda."
"It's usually the other way around," with the US rejecting Taliban reports, says Mr. Shuaid.
After an attack or errant US airstrike, Taliban representatives usually text message or e-mail reports to him "within minutes," giving their version of what happened, Shuaid continues.
Their claims are almost always exaggerated, he says. But because they arrive first, he says, they take on the currency of truth among a populace that receives most of its information via radio or word of mouth.
Eight years after the fundamentalist movement enforced a ban on television, the Taliban has developed a fast, coordinated media apparatus that has eroded public support for nationbuilding, according to a July report by the International Crisis Group, even though active support for the insurgents remains low.
"This does not mean the people believe everything [Taliban operatives] say. But given the weakness of the government and missteps of the international community, it feeds into a climate of suspicion and potential alienation," says the author of the report, Joanna Nathan.
Their tools span the spectrum, from radio transmissions and a multilingual website, known as "The Emirate," which is updated almost daily with battle reports and press releases, to more traditional means of communication such as audio cassettes and "night letters" passed out by hand. And they have succeeded by filling a narrative void left by the Afghan government and coalition forces, who say they are slowed by hostile terrain and an obligation to find the truth.
US targets 'strategic communications'
In March, US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke told journalists that "strategic communications" have become a "major, major gap to be filled" if US-led forces are to reverse losses. This urgency figured in the Obama adminstration's new Afghan strategy revealed in March, which called for a major upgrade "to improve the image of the United States and its allies" and "to counter the propaganda that is key to the enemy's terror campaign."
One component of this strategy, according to British defense analyst Tim Foxley, is "to challenge the Taliban to explain their actions and intent," while promoting a grassroots discussion of "the Taliban's legitimacy, their interpretation of Islam, what constitutes a jihad, and the morality of killing civilians."
On Wednesday, coalition forces issued a press release condemning a wave of Taliban suicide attacks in the city of Khost that killed 13 civilians and injured 36.
"These attacks again demonstrate the insurgents' complete disregard for the people of Afghanistan whom they claim to represent. These senseless acts reflect how dishonorable the insurgents are; no one can honestly say they are fighting for the people then purposefully attack innocents," said Brig. Gen. Richard Blanchette, the ISAF spokesman.
Handing out radios
The military's improved responsiveness appears to be part of a host of changes now in motion to try and beat the Taliban at their own game.
The Pentagon has reportedly launched a broad "psychological operations" campaign in Afghanistan and Pakistan to take down insurgent-run websites and the jam radio stations dominate the airwaves in backcountry areas.
In eastern Afghanistan's Paktia Province, for instance, the US military is busy setting up a network of radio transmitters to broadcast information on attacks and other security incidents that the Taliban is adept at exploiting. Officials say that US forces have sped up their approval process for messages and distributed thousands of radios to ensure that isolated locals get the news ahead of Taliban spin doctors.
The Army is also rewriting its information operations manual. The new document, set to be released later this year, will give greater authority to battlefield commanders to make communications decisions on the spot – rather than senior officers far from the action – to counter Taliban attempts to stage deaths and then circulate fabricated videos.
Tune in to 'Ask ISAF'
The coalition forces have a weekly call-in radio program, "Ask ISAF," where Afghans can directly present their questions and concerns to officers. The Afghan government, meanwhile, has opened a $1.2 million media center staffed by Western-trained PR specialists. The facility includes a hi-tech media monitoring wing and an outreach department to build better working relations with journalists.
But in Afghanistan's deeply conservative culture, analysts say gestures of respect are just as important as the message itself.
Nader Nadery, director of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, calls the public expression of regret offered last week by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a "huge improvement compared to Azizabad," referring to a high-profile case last August in Herat Province where Afghan and United Nations officials found evidence that up to 90 civilian had perished in a US operation.
The military had disputed the findings, saying no civilians had died, only Taliban. But after a high-level investigation, widespread protests, and heavy pressure from Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the military put the civilian death toll at 33, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates apologized. Families of the dead were paid $2,000 through the Afghan government.
Such incidents, says Mr. Nadery, mean that the Taliban do not "have to do much extra" to undermine public support for the Afghan government and its foreign backers.
"The damage is done. And it's hard to compensate, whether with money or with words," he says.
Afghanistan: Civilians Under Siege
Jason Motlagh is a writer, broadcast journalist and filmmaker whose work focuses on conflict and human rights. Formerly TIME magazine's Afghanistan correspondent, he has reported from more...
View this story on The Christian Science Monitor
Conflict, Human Rights
Taliban are Only Successors to Generations of Invaders
U.S. air strike victims say Taliban long gone
Conflict and Peace Building


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Payne Junior High students perform 'Shrek JR'
By COLLEEN SPARKS
Students at Payne Junior High School are bringing their imagination and humor to the stage in the beloved tale of an ogre and his fairytale misfit friends in "Shrek The Musical JR."
The cast of about 30 students will bring the funny and romantic fairytale to life at 6:30 p.m. on April 26 in the cafeteria at Payne, 7655 S. Higley Road in Queen Creek.
Some students in the Drama Club are working back stage and helping with hair and makeup, costume changes, seating audience members, selling tickets and other tasks.
It is the first time in at least 10 years Payne Junior High has produced a musical.
Payne language arts teacher Kennedy Plumb is the director and Mackenzie Baker, who also teaches language arts, is the assistant director. Both sponsor the school's Drama Club.
The musical follows Shrek's journey as he has learned the hard way "people hate the things they cannot understand," according to a line in the production. He lives as a recluse in order to protect himself from the hurtful behaviors of people who are scared of him.
The original Broadway musical started Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek and Sutton Foster as Fiona, and ran for a year. The show received 12 Drama Desk Awards, as well as eight Tony Award nominations.
Recently, Plumb led the cast through rehearsals in the cafeteria, while some students wore costumes that they put together themselves.
"We just started our Drama Club this year," Plumb said. "We had so many people audition."
Every child who auditioned got a part but she and Baker chose which roles would best fit them. Students told the teachers the three characters they would most like to play.
Plumb sang and acted in theater when she was in middle and high school while Baker performed as a cheerleader when she was in school.
"Shrek The Musical JR." is the ideal musical for junior high school students, who are in seventh and eighth grades, Baker said.
"This age they're really quirky and silly," she said. "They can just be silly and have fun. We are very excited. We're a little nervous. Of course we want it to be successful but most of all we want them to have fun. I've seen people just bloom."
She said the young actors are working hard and "half the time" get to rehearsals before she and Plumb.
Because the Drama Club is new, the teachers had to ask parents if their children in the musical could come up with costumes.
"We've had very supportive kids and very supportive parents," Baker said.
Students were given ideas for how to create costumes and they enjoyed coming up with fun creations. Some students stuffed things inside their shirts to give themselves the appearance of big bellies.
The students and teachers also held a fundraiser to raise money to buy materials for the sets and to buy the rights to perform the musical. A student's father has donated microphones and speakers for the school to use in the show.
"It comes back to the humor," Baker said. "They love it. They love that they're going to be painted green."
Eighth grader Jeremy Brower, 14, of Chandler, wore a dark, shaggy-haired wig and red, graduation-style gown as part of his costume while moving around the stage on his knees to play the part of Lord Farquaad.
A tall teen, Jeremy moved on his knees to appear short like the character. His grandmother is planning to sew his costume for him and his older sister is going to crochet a green hat for Jeremy for his other part in the musical as Papa Shrek.
Jeremy is on the autism spectrum and has trouble fitting in socially in some settings but he has found his niche and is thriving in the musical, according to his mother, Eileen Brower.
"I'm happy so much," Jeremy said. "It's created a whole lot of friendships with my peers here. I love to be myself. It really has helped me to become free of what has been holding me behind – my autism and understanding I'm a shy person."
He said he likes wearing costumes and taking on different identities in the musical. Jeremy said playing the part of Lord Farquaad allows him to "express my emotions with my voice."
"There's a whole bunch of segments where he'll say a funny line," he said. "I've seen the movie. I've also seen the Broadway musical before."
He also performed in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" musical at a Queen Creek library a few years ago.
Eileen is thrilled her son has discovered his love of theater.
"It's made me such a happier mom," she said. "This has been the greatest thing. We've only been here a year. All of a sudden he's got friends. He just comes here and he loves it."
Camille Taylor is enjoying watching her son, Zachary Taylor, 14, an eighth grader, play the title role.
Zachary began performing in theater when he was about 8 and has been in more than a dozen plays and musicals, mostly in Gilbert.
"He's enjoying it," Camille said. "I think it helps with a lot of different aspects in life. There's always such a great camaraderie and teamwork. He's always been loud. He's pretty outgoing. He's also in the band. He even takes some dance lessons."
She said the musical is "fun" and she likes the "Freak Flag" song in it.
Zachary said he is having fun performing in the musical.
"It's probably been the most hardest working musical I've been in," he said. "I was in 'Jungle Book' and it was pretty fun and I haven't stopped. I've never been a lead role before."
Eighth grader Bethany Harkness plays another big role – Princess Fiona.
"It's actually really cool because this is actually my first lead role," Bethany said. "It's easier than I thought it would be. I like that she's not like most princesses. I think people are really going to think the songs are catchy."
She said she likes playing the feisty Fiona because she can relate to her.
"I'm very sarcastic," Bethany said.
She added the musical has a "pretty powerful story."
Hannah Toth, 12, a seventh grader, likes playing fast-talking Donkey and mingling with eighth-graders.
"I think sometimes you can do embarrassing things but you realize it's all towards the comedy," Hannah said.
She said she used to live in Los Angeles, where she got into singing and dancing and often performed starting "at a very young age."
Like her peers, Hannah also likes Shrek's journey in the musical.
"I like the fact that before he was alone," Hannah said.
"He realizes he doesn't need to be perfect. I love the songs. The first time I listened to the soundtrack, I had gotten so many songs stuck in my head. It is really fun. There's a lot of eighth graders I wouldn't have known. Next year I'm definitely going to join Drama Club again," she added.
Tickets are $3 for Payne students and $6 for everyone else and available at the door.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Lea Thompson: Bio, Height, Weight, Age, Measurements
Lea Thompson is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Lorraine Baines in the Back to the Future trilogy and Caroline Duffy in the 1990s sitcom Caroline in the City. She has also played prominent roles in the films All the Right Moves, Red Dawn, Howard the Duck, Some Kind of Wonderful, and The Beverly Hillbillies. She portrayed Kathryn Kennish in the Freeform series Switched at Birth From 2011 to 2017. The youngest of five children, Thompson was born as Lea Katherine Thompson in Rochester, Minnesota, on May 31, 1961. Her parents are Barbara Anne and Clifford Elwin Thompson. Her siblings are Coleen, Barry, Shannon, and Andrew. She attended Marshall-University High School (Minneapolis). She danced professionally at the age of 14. She left professional ballet in favor of an acting career. Thompson's first role was as water skiing water show performer, she did not know how to water ski or even swim prior to being cast. She has been married to Howard Deutch since 1989. They have two daughters, Zoey and Madelyn.
Lea Thompson Personal Details:
Date Of Birth: 31 May 1961
Birth Place: Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Birth Name: Lea Katherine Thompson
Nickname: Lea
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Occupation: Actress, Dancer, Director, Producer
Race/Ethnicity: White (Irish, English, Scots-Irish, German, and distant Dutch)
Eye Color: Light Brown
Lea Thompson Body Statistics:
Body Shape: Hourglass
Body Build/Type: Slim
Body Measurements: 34-26-34 in (86-66-86 cm)
Bust Size: 34 inches (86 cm)
Waist Size: 26 inches (66 cm)
Hips Size: 35 inches (89 cm)
Bra Size/Cup Size: 32B
Feet/Shoe Size: 7.5 (US)
Dress Size: 4 (US)
Lea Thompson Family Details:
Father: Cliff Thompson
Mother: Barbara Thompson
Spouse/Husband: Howard Deutch (m. 1989)
Children: Zoey Deutch (Daughter), Madelyn Deutch (Daughter)
Siblings: Coleen Goodrich (Older Sister), Barry Thompson (Older Brother), Shannon Thompson Katona (Older Sister), Andrew Thompson (Older Brother)
Others: Phillip Goodrich (Brother-in-law), Elizabeth Goodrich (Niece), Murray Deutch (Father-in-law)
Partner: Dennis Quaid (1986-1989)
Lea Thompson Education:
Marshall-University High School, Minneapolis, MN
Lea Thompson Facts:
*She was born in Rochester, Minnesota on May 31, 1961.
*Her parents divorced when she was six years old.
*She won scholarships to the School of American Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre.
*She danced in more than 45 ballets with the ABT.
*She met her future husband Howard Deutch when he directed her in Some Kind of Wonderful in 1987.
*Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


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Could DNA-based dating rewrite the laws of attraction?
Good luck on all this. We naturally want to hybridize by matching up with dissimilar genetics. The real question is whether or not we can produce mutually superior children and that may well be enhanced with fairly similar genetic histories, such as Irish marrying Irish. The real problem is that cultures do need to generally match up.
Throw in the problem of psycho development issues and you get to the nub of the general problem.
Psycho development needs to be formerly addressed, plausibly in our school system and early adult. Way too many damaged individuals out there and self help is often not good enough. Yet i do think it can be done.
cultural development is meant to act as a system of social introduction to your fellow travelers. That needs to be better understood.
All this is way more important than genetics and all needs to be handled.
I do not think genetics has a real chance here. Yet hybridization per se happens to be desirable..
Dating sucks. From village matchmakers to personal ads to dating sites and apps, there's no perfect method for finding The One. But some scientists think the solution might be written in our DNA.
Not everyone is happy about this version of modern love
A "60 Minutes" profile of geneticist George Church covered a lot of weird science, but it was a conversation about his DNA-based dating startup (he calls it digiD8) that raised eyebrows... and Twitter ire.
Many accused him of promoting eugenics and trying to wipe out people with disabilities.
In a subsequent interview with the WaPo, Church said the point of DNA-based dating is not to eliminate genetic diversity but to prevent fatal hereditary diseases like Tay-Sachs or cystic fibrosis.
Don't swipe left just yet...
Church likens digiD8 to genetic counseling some couples already undergo.
But whereas those screenings help couples decide whether to have a baby, digiD8 would keep them from meeting in the first place.
It blocks users who "match" on certain conditions from seeing one another's dating profiles.
There's always other fish in the sea
Pheramor, another DNA-based dating app, makes matches based on the results of DNA swab tests and an algorithm that examines social factors.
The science is unproven -- but so far the Pheramor app has about 10k users, around half of whom have sent in their spit for sequencing.
This hardly compares to the number of people using Tinder (50m) and Bumble (40m), but it's not nothin'.
Given the prevalence of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, it makes sense that services -- DNA-based dieting, anyone? -- would follow.


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Computer science and digital literacy
Fred Wilson's post on the push to make computer science a standard part of New York state public school curriculum got me thinking, and specifically the struggle to make that happen outside of the cities, got me thinking.
I support the addition of computer science as a standard part of K-12 curriculum, so long as it's balanced by a strong and challenging literary/humanities curriculum. As Steve Jobs once said, technology alone is not enough. And in many respects American educational thinking is already far too focused exclusively on the economic aspect of learning, while personal and cultural knowledge is lost or never conveyed in the first place.
But literacy of any sort requires good language. Think of Albus Dumbledore's comment to Harry Potter in The Deathly Hallows to the effect that "words are our most inexhaustible source of magic". That means that the careful use of language in what we describe will shape what we strive to do.
How many schools still use archaic language like "Computer Class" or "Technology" or something similar? That's atrocious phrasing that I think underscores how far those schools are from Fred Wilson's vision of computer science for all. (The same is true, by the way, for terrible, nebulous subjects like "Religion" and "Social Studies" and "English Language Arts", etc.) What's really being taught (or what should really be taught in this class) is not "computers" or "technology" but digital or electronic literacy.
"Digital Literacy" curriculum would demand better teachers, because it would encompass not just basic skills like typing, systems use, coding, etc, but could go a step further by seeking to impart a sense of public citizenship. And personal social network guidance. And imparting at least intermediate critical learning and research methodology.
"Computers and Technology" is creaky language, and an obsolete, vague, unmeasurable sort of class. It's like calling an English composition class "Typing Class"—technically accurate, while missing the point.
A digital literacy curriculum could encompass what Fred Wilson is working to do in New York, while also cultivating a wider set of virtues that would serve the whole person.
Regret and virtue
What Newsweek knew


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Reading Now What Happens To The Election? Jon Keller Answers Questions About Trump's Covid-19 Diagnosis
What Happens To The Election? Jon Keller Answers Questions About Trump's Covid-19 Diagnosis
BOSTON (CBS) – What a day it's been, a devastating one for the White House and the Trump campaign, a sobering and disconcerting one for all Americans.
One hopes for a swift and full recovery for the President, the First Lady and all others caught up in this outbreak. Coming as it does at the height of the campaign, these events inevitably raise questions about the process and the future. Here are three submitted Friday by viewers and social-media followers, all before the news that the president had been taken to the hospital for treatment and observation.
"If President Trump becomes incapacitated, what happens to the election is it postponed?" – Claire via email
Let's hope that never happens. But no, the election will not be postponed. It would require approval by both the House and Senate and that isn't happening. They can't even agree on what day it is.
If a president becomes very sick or passes away before Election Day the nominating party has the right to put forward a replacement, but in this case people have already voted and its too late to change the ballots. Donald Trump's name will be on the ballot on November 3.
U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the White House for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on the South Lawn of the White House on October 2, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
"Shouldn't everyone (including the Biden camp) quarantine once they were exposed at the debate?" – Suzysassafras on Instagram
My esteemed colleague Dr. Mallika Marshall says yes, anyone who came within six feet of the president or First Lady at the debate for 15 minutes or more should quarantine. But this is a golden opportunity for the Biden campaign to be out campaigning while the president is stuck inside.
It will be tough for the Trump campaign to call Biden out for it when it was likely they who exposed him to the virus. But this is also an opportunity for President Trump to at least try to defuse some of the negative fallout from his handling of virus precautions by coming out of confinement with a new attitude towards masks and distancing, an epiphany that might go over well with some key voting groups. Then again, there's nothing in his background to suggest any willingness to show contrition and repentance, even now with high stakes.
"What if this is a ploy and he comes back saying 'see! I am tougher than the virus. It's no worse than the flu.'"? – Valerie on Facebook
Again, this question was submitted before word of the president's hospitalization. Judging from what his doctor is saying and the video of him en route, it looks to be all too real to me.
However, if it's a ploy in any way it's the worst political ploy in history. There is no way he could keep exaggeration of coronavirus symptoms from being exposed. If he has a mild, brief bout of it, as he hopefully will, he can try to use those talking points you describe, but that just plays into a key Biden campaign theme, that if you're rich and powerful you can survive COVID but good luck if you aren't.
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National Seminar and Poster Competition on 'Suicide Prevention through Different Perspectives'
National Seminar and Poster Competition on 'Suicide Prevention through Different Perspectives' organized by the Applied Psychology Department of The Neotia University (TNU) to Celebrate World Mental Health Day on 10th October 2020.
The Applied Psychology Department, The Neotia University has kept the students aware regarding the global scenario of various psychological conditions and outcomes even in this pandemic crisis situation. On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, 2019 the theme of which was "Suicide Prevention" organized a Poster Competition on the theme of suicide prevention. All around the world, 700000 dies of suicide every year which means that in every 40 seconds someone could die of suicide. India, among other countries, ranks 6th in women suicide and 22nd in the count of men's suicide. The average age of individuals who attempt suicide is about 17 years. Besides, this pandemic crisis has led to a huge surge in psychological distress and resultantly an increase in suicide counts. Considering, these present conditions and statistics, the Applied Psychology Unit found it relevant to organize this program on suicide prevention to sensitize the students in general about the occurrence of suicide, the myths prevalent about suicide, the causes behind suicide, and the ways to prevent suicide and also pave a path for students to reach out in need. The students actively participated and put in an incredible amount of research and effort in making the posters on the theme of "Suicide Prevention" from different perspectives. The students also explained their perspectives and interpretation of the conception of suicide and suicide prevention. A huge number of submissions was received from a considerable number of graduate and postgraduate courses of the department. The posters were assessed to rank the first three based on originality of thought, creativity, and organized execution. Details of the Winners of Poster Competition- First Position- Shreya Paliwal, Bsc Sem-5, TNU. Second Position (1)- Saima Khatoon (PG Student, Amity Kolkata) & Prerna Singh (PG student Mount Carmel College, Bangalore). Second Position (2)- Sampriti Das, B.Sc Sem-1, TNU. Third Position- Swarn Raj Sahukari, B.Sc Sem-3, TNU. Fourth Position – Ishita Mahapatra, B.Sc Sem-1, TNU. Professional Position – Kanchan Sengupta (Counsellor, Well-being Consultant).


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Home » Restaurants + Bars
Doughnut News
Design your own doughnut bar rises in urban Uptown Dallas
Snocone News
Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood nets truly authentic snocone stand
New halal restaurant simmers up trendy chicken for Dallas college crowd
Halal restaurant simmers up trendy chicken for Dallas college crowd
Charcoal Avenue is giving Halal Guys some competition. ChefsRecipes.us
A new fast-serve restaurant dedicated to one of the trendiest food pairings right now will open near the University of Texas at Dallas. Called Charcoal Avenue, it's a family-run place whose menu will include the popular combination of chicken and rice.
Charcoal Avenue will open this summer at 17509 Coit Rd., and comes from a trio of owners, including Sarah Khan, who are fulfilling a dream to open their own place.
"Well be serving halal fast food, which is basically meat that Muslims can eat," she says. "All our food is going to be halal. But it will be a fast-food joint, with burgers, wings, fried chicken, French fries, and our own menu of sauces."
Plus, chicken with rice, gyro meat with rice, and falafel with rice.
"Rice and chicken is a big thing, it's a hit right now, it's something everyone wants," she says. "Halal Guys has helped make that popular, and we feel like we should have it on our menu, but we don't want our menu to be restricted to those two dishes."
The chicken-and-rice trend got a big bump locally with the arrival of New York concept Halal Guys, but Dallas-Fort Worth already had entries such as the Original Chicken-N-Rice, MJ's Chicken & Rice, and Big Guy's Chicken & Rice. Look, we got chicken and rice.
Khan says the Charcoal Avenue menu will have a "Pakistani touch."
"The chicken won't be just regular chicken, it'll be Pakistani-style barbecue chicken and our burgers will be our own style, with our own flavors," she says, citing spices such as paprika, cayenne, coriander powder, clove, and black pepper.
They're optimistic about their location near the University of Texas at Dallas.
"A lot of the students that attend that school only eat halal food, and there's not much around there," she says. "It's always been a dream to open a restaurant — not just an ordinary restaurant, but something that reflects who we are."
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The New Carbon Architecture, or Why We Should Be "Building Out of Sky" (Book Review)
©. New Carbon Architecture
This book makes the convincing case that we have to change the way we build, that it is no longer enough just to save energy.
French mathematician and theologian Blaise Pascal once wrote "Je n'ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n'ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte," loosely translated as "I'm sorry I wrote you such a long letter; I didn't have time to write a short one." In the introduction to his book The New Carbon Architecture, Bruce King writes:
This could have been a much bigger book. It might have been a 400 page tome fully reporting the state of the art with tables, graphs and other hallmarks of good science, or it could have been shaped as an academic textbook. But it seemed better to get the idea out into the world, as simply and readably as possible.
So he rounded up some of the best minds in the business, "and it took some persuading to get them to provide just the 'elevator pitch' summaries of their respective work in their respective fields." They certainly delivered more than just elevator pitches; they add up to "a collection of useful essays sketching a new palette of materials for a new century."
Net-Zero buildings that use less energy than they generate are a good start, but don't go nearly far enough; here we point out how to design and build truly zero carbon buildings -- the New Carbon Architecture.
King also calls this new architecture "building out of sky"– stuff that comes from the sky like carbon from the CO2 in the air, sunlight, and water -- which, through the process of photosynthesis, are turned into plants that we can turn into building materials. I have described the same idea as building out of sunshine. These are the materials that are truly zero carbon or carbon negative, actually sucking it out of the atmosphere.
We covered the ideas in the book previously in Why we should be building out of sunshine
Bruce King has nothing against carbon; we are all made of it. He calls carbon "the party animal of elements" because of its ability to bond with nitrogen, iron and oxygen "to make all sorts of interesting delights like giraffes, redwood trees, poodles and you." The problem is that you can have too much of a good thing, in the wrong places. The issue of concern is Carbon Dioxide, or CO2, and its equivalents in other emissions.
© MIT
It all starts with a bang in Chapter One, where Erin McDade explains why the embodied carbon in our buildings matters at all. For years it has been a standard argument that operating energy overwhelms embodied energy really quickly, so that adding a little more high-energy foam insulation pays for itself in carbon really quickly. But it is not true anymore; as buildings get more efficient, that carbon hit from construction matters more and more. In a high efficiency building it matters a lot. If you are looking at shorter deadlines (like being carbon free by 2050) it matters even more. McDade concludes:
To have any hope of meeting our climate change goals, we need to rethink our traditional carbon analysis mechanisms and design processes. Whole building lifespans do not accommodate the urgency of climate change; carbon emitted today has much, much more impact than carbon emitted after 2050, and we cannot continue to underestimate the effects of embodied carbon emissions.
Jim Howe: Frieze Building, Ann Arbor Michigan, 20047/CC BY 2.0
TreeHugger covered this in Embodied Energy and Green Building: Does it matter? In chapter 3, Larry Strain makes a great case for renovation, noting that there are two reasons to do it:
The first is to reduce operating emissions from existing buildings, and that applies to all buildings. The second is to reduce embodied emissions by renovating existing structures instead of building new ones.
This is a position that many of us in the heritage preservation movement have been making for years; we are often told that buildings have to come down because "they will be replaced with a LEED Platinum energy saving building" without even considering the embodied energy expended making the new one.
© Liesa JohannssenFrom Adventures in Engineering: ARUP and the Metropol Parasol
Much of the book is devoted to the wonders of building in wood, which we have written about so often on TreeHugger that I will not go into great detail. But there is a great essay by Jason Grant, who points out that "the carbon embodied in wood products accounts for only a fraction of the overall carbon stored in the forest they come from – as little as 18 percent by one estimate." Lots of carbon is still released from rotting logging slash and exposed soils. The logging has to be done carefully, less intensively and more selectively to keep more carbon out of the atmosphere. Which is why we keep talking about the need to use sustainably harvested and certified wood.
Chris in front of "canada's greenest home"/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0
Chapter 5 has Chris Magwood and Massey Burke looking at straw and other fibres, including straw blocks that look like Lego, Hemp and other straw bale products and designs. "The big advantage is that they are cheap and plentiful, and sequester carbon that would otherwise end up in the air. The primary disadvantage is their susceptibility to moisture decay." There is no question, it is a lot more work than a wall of styrofoam. But as Chris concludes,
Straw is a humble and unassuming material, yet it is also one of the most direct links between the human economy and the global carbon cycle; we are only just learning how to use it creatively. Most of the excitement is still to come. Stay tuned.
© PLP Architecture via Cambridge University
It is not all about wood and straw; there is a chapter about re-inventing concrete and making it better, which deserves a post of its own. There is a lot happening in the concrete world that we have barely touched on TreeHugger. There is a good discussion about the health benefits of natural building materials, and Ann V. Edminster does a great chapter on height and density, which is critically important when you realize that transportation now produces more carbon than any other sector.
© Tesla My own rant on Teslas: Why we don't need electric cars, but need to get rid of cars
Bruce King even ends with a rant about a Tesla with the licence plate ZERO CARB and another sporting FRE NRG "articulating in six letters the bookend myth of the green movement and really our entire culture."
Call me a party pooper but there's no zero emissions and there's no "free energy". Everything we do has effects, some of which we see and some of which we don't.
Thinking again of Blaise Pascal, one realizes what an important book this is. It is carefully crafted to explain the essentials of some very complicated and controversial ideas in a very readable, even entertaining form that is accessible to anyone. It's hard work, distilling so much knowledge and information into 140 pages (with lots of illustrations too!). But as Paul Hawken blurbs on the cover, it is "a fantastic, timely, important book."
Why We Should Be Building Out of Sunshine
Are Skyscrapers Wasteful, Damaging, and Outmoded?
On World Soil Day, a Look at How We Should Be Growing Buildings
Landmark Study Shows How to Change the Building Sector From a Major Carbon Emitter to a Major Carbon Sink
High Fiber Diets Are Good for Buildings, Too
Can Cross-Laminated Timber Save the World?
How Our Thinking Changed in 2019: Upfront Carbon Emissions
The Pretty Good House 2.0 Is a Pretty Good Building Standard (Now With Embodied Carbon!)
What Happens When You Plan or Design With Upfront Carbon Emissions in Mind?
World Green Building Council Calls for Radical Reduction in Upfront Carbon Emissions
Is It a New Era, Where Architects Should Be Held to Account for the Environmental Impact of Their Work?
Five, Just Five, Solutions to Roll Back Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
Why Do We Make Everything So Complicated? We Need Radical Simplicity Right Now.
Waugh Thistleton Project is a Textbook of Modern Low-Carbon Design
What Is "The Conventional Wisdom About Environmentally Friendly Construction"?
Quote of the Day: The Wonder of Wood


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Jiajie Diao
113. K. Qiu, W. Zou, Z. Fang, Y. Wang, S. Bell, X. Zhang, Z. Tian, X. Xu, B. Ji, D. Li, T. Huang, J. Diao. 2D MoS2 and BN nanosheets damage mitochondria through membrane penetration. (2023).
112. D. Li, J. Diao. Protein-membrane interaction at the pre-synapse. J. Mol. Biol. 435, 167905 (2023).
111. H. Fang, L. Hu, Q. Chen, S. Geng, C. Wang, M. Hao, Z. Tian, H. Chen, L. Liu, J.-L. Guan, Y. Chen, L. Dong, Z. Guo, W. He, J. Diao. An ER-targeted "reserve-release" fluorogen for topological quantification of reticulophagy. Biomaterials 292, 121929 (2023).
110. K. Wu, W. Sun, D. Li, J. Diao, P. Xiu. Inhibition of amyloid nucleation by steric hindrance. J. Phys. Chem. B 126, 10045 (2022).
109. D.G. Gamage, K. Melikov, P. Munoz-Tello, T. Wherley, L. Focke, E. Leikina, E. Huffman, J. Diao, D.J. Kojetin, V. Prasad, L.V. Chernomordik, D.P. Millay. Phosphatidylserine orchestrates Myomerger membrane insertions to drive myoblast fusion. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 119, e2202490119 (2022).
108. K. Qiu, A. Yadav, Z. Tian, Z. Guo, D. Shi, C.K. Nandi, J. Diao. Ultra-long-term super-resolution tracking of lysosomes in brain organoids by near-infrared noble metal nanoclusters. ACS Mater. Lett. 4, 1565 (2022).
107. K. Qiu, W. Zou, H. Fang, M. Hao, K. Mehta, Z. Tian, J.-L. Guan, K. Zhang, T. Huang, J. Diao. Light-activated mitochondrial fission through optogenetic control of mitochondria-lysosome contacts. Nat. Commun. 13, 4303 (2022). Highlighted by: UC News
106. G. Fang, H. Chen, X. Shao, H. Wang, D. Zhan, R. Wang, P. Meng, H. Fang, F. Liu, P. Ling, Z. Wu, J. Diao, Q. Yao, Q. Chen. Single image capture of bioactive ion crosstalk within inter-organelle membrane contacts at nanometer resolution. Small Methods 6, 2200321 (2022).
105. L. Wang, R. Chen, G. Han, X. Liu, T. Huang, J. Diao, Y. Sun. Super-resolution analyzing spatial organization of lysosomes with an organic fluorescent probe. Exploration 2, 0210215 (2022).
104. Y. Wang, X. Hu, J. Long, J. Diao. Epigenetic optical sensing of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine at the single-molecule level. Sens. Actuator B-Chem 358, 131500 (2022).
103. L. Wang, J. Diao. VAMP8 phosphorylation regulates lysosome dynamics in autophagy. Autophagy Rep. 1, 79 (2022).
102. K. Qiu, R. Seino, G. Han, M. Ishiyama, Y. Ueno, Z. Tian, Y. Sun, J. Diao. De novo design of a membrane-anchored probe for multi-dimensional quantification of endocytic dynamics. Adv. Healthc. Mater. 11, 2102185 (2022). Highlighted by: UC News
101. C.M. Aryal, O. Tyoe, J. Diao. Lipid species dependent vesicles clustering caused by alpha-synuclein as revealed by single-vesicle imaging with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Biophys. Rep. 7, 437 (2021).
100. Q. Chen, M. Hao, L. Wang, L. Li, Y. Chen, X. Shao, Z. Tian, R.A. Pfuetzner, Q. Zhong, A.T. Brunger, J.-L. Guan, J. Diao. Prefused lysosomes cluster on autophagosomes regulated by VAMP8. Cell Death Dis. 12, 939 (2021).
99. J. Yan, Y. Wang, X. Li, D. Guo, Z. Zhao, G. Bai, J. Li, N. Huang, J. Diao, Y. Li, W. He, W. Liu, K. Tao. A bionic nano band-aid constructed by a three-stage self-assembly of peptides for rapid liver hemostasis. Nano Lett. 21, 7166 (2021).
98. K.-N. Wang, X. Shao, Z. Tian, L.-Y. Liu, C. Zhang, C.-P. Tan, J. Zhang, P. Ling, F. Liu, Q. Chen, J. Diao, Z.-W. Mao. A continuously add-on probe reveals a nonlinear enlargement of mitochondria in light-activated oncosis. Adv. Sci. 8, 2004566 (2021).
97. W. Zou, Q. Chen, J. Slone, L. Yang, X. Lou, J. Diao, T. Huang. Nanoscopic quantification of sub-mitochondrial morphology, mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamics in living cells derived from patients with mitochondrial diseases. J. Nanobiotechnol. 19, 136 (2021).
96. X. Zheng, J. Yan, W. You, F. Li, J. Diao, W. He, Y. Yao. De novo nano-erythrocyte structurally braced by biomimetic Au(I)-peptide skeleton for MDM2/MDMX predation towards augmented pulmonary adenocarcinoma immunotherapy. Small 17, 2100394 (2021).
95. Y. Du, Y. Lai, J. Liu, J. Diao. Epigenetic quantification of DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine using DNA hybridization-based single-molecule immunofluorescent imaging. Small Methods 5, 2100061 (2021).
94. Y. Tao, J. Xie, Q. Zhong, Y. Wang, S. Zhang, F. Luo, F. Wen, J. Xie, J. Zhao, X. Sun, H. Long, J. Ma, Q. Zhang, J. Long, X. Fang, Y. Lu, D. Li, M. Li, J. Zhu, B. Sun, G. Li, J. Diao, C. Liu. A novel partially-open state of SHP2 points to a "multiple gear" regulation mechanism. J. Biol. Chem. 296, 100538 (2021).
93. E. Lerner et al. FRET-Based dynamic structural biology: Challenges, perspectives and an appeal for open-science practices. Elife 10, e60416 (2021).
92. D.J. Klionsky et al. Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition). Autophagy 17, 1 (2021).
91. J. Liu, B. Bu, M. Crowe, D. Li, J. Diao, B. Ji. Membrane packing defects in synaptic vesicles recruit complexin and synuclein. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 23, 2117 (2021).
90. H. Fang, S. Geng, M. Hao, Q. Chen, M. Liu, C. Liu, Z. Tian, C. Wang, T. Takebe, J.-L. Guan, Y. Chen, Z. Guo, W. He, J. Diao. Simultaneous Zn2+ tracking in multiple organelles using super-resolution morphology-correlated organelle identification in living cells. Nat. Commun. 12, 109 (2021).


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Doha book fair starts Monday; Iran to be 'guest of honor'
The 22nd annual Doha International Book Fair commences on Monday and will run through Dec. 22 at the Doha Exhibition Center.
Some 32,108 titles, including 29,370 titles in Arabic and 2,838 titles in other languages will be on sale, and children's books will feature prominently at the fair, according to media reports.
The "guest of honor" at the event will be Iran, a spokesman from the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage said.
Qatar Tribune reports:
Iranian Ambassador HE Abdullah Sohrabi pointed out to the close ties between Iran and Qatar for getting the honour. The envoy said, "The timing of the fair, especially on the backdrop of recent political changes in the Arab world, will provide the emergence of new cultural ideas."
(The ministry spokesman added): "There is no ban or restriction on any books in the exhibition."
Hurray for book fairs! Who's planning on going?
Facebook usage falls in GCC, including in Qatar, Saudi Arabia
Official: 10 new hotels to come up at Souq Waqif
Qatar welcomes first female Philippine envoy


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CCCJ Celebrating 20th Anniversary
Roundabout JA | December 7, 2021
The Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) will be hosting a slate of activities in commemoration of its 20th anniversary.
Presenter: Jermi-Lee Nelson
Producer: Jermi-Lee Nelson
More Roundabout JA Radio Programmes
Roundabout JA | January 4, 2022
Rural Taxi Operators Encouraged To Craft Their Own Routes
Minister of Transport and Mining, Robert Montague is encouraging more licensed and registered Public Passenger Vehicle (PPV) operators in rural sections of the country to apply to the Transport Authority for new routes.
Drop-in Centre for the Homeless to be constructed in Westmoreland
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Desmond McKenzie says provisions are being made for the construction of a new drop-in facility for the homeless population in Westmoreland in the new financial year.
Roundabout JA | December 24, 2021
Ferry Police Station Set To Be Renovated
The Ferry Police Station, in St. Andrew, is to receive a facelift following the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Toll Authority of Jamaica (TAJ).
Plans Being Put In Place For Student Transportation
Plans are being put in place to ensure students are transported to school safely as more institutions reopen for face-to-face classes, with special emphasis is being placed on reactivating the rural transportation programme to support students from rural Jamaica.
Additional Homeless Shelters Coming Soon
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is looking to establish two more homeless shelters, one in Ocho Rios, St Ann and another in Port Antonio, Portland.
USAID Awards Grants To Community Organizations
Fourteen community organizations have been awarded grants worth a total of 21 million dollars under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Positive Pathways Initiative.


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GameSpew Team
Help, we're drowning – in a pile of games!
This week has perhaps been the busiest week of the year so far in terms of new releases, so we've had review after review. It means, however, that we've had our hands on some truly wonderful games: after giving no 10/10s since January (Resident Evil 2, of course), this week we've had two – the indie darling Knights and Bikes from Foam Sword Studios, and Catherine: Full Body, an even better version of the 2011 gem. But more on those in a bit from the people who played them.
Things aren't slowing down any time soon – the whole of September looks to be just as busy. To those games, though, we say: bring it on. Our bodies (and our consoles) are ready.
Rich: This week, I feel like I've played everything. Many late nights have been had, but thankfully, all the games I've played have been rather good.
Last weekend was spent finishing up Remedy Entertainment's Control, and it didn't disappoint. With its David Lynch-esque weirdness and thrilling third-person combat, it had me hooked. It's just a shame that it has some performance issues. Still, it's one of the best games released this year. I also dabbled in a bit of MXGP 2019, which seems like step back from Milestone's last attempt at the sport.
After those two were out of the way, it was time to get stuck into Catherine: Full Body. I remember loving the original Catherine when I played it back in 2011. Catherine: Full Body takes it and makes it a hell of a lot better, securing it the second 10/10 score I've given this year. And last night was spent playing through Blair Witch. About half way through it I thought it was going to be a dud, but at 2am this morning its final hours scared me shitless. Good times.
Kim: The highlight of my week has probably been Supermassive Games' Man of Medan. I loved Until Dawn, so was looking forward to the developer's next narrative driven horror adventure. Man of Medan didn't disappoint, coupling spooky scares and a gripping narrative. Altogether less scary and technically impressive, but offering plenty of puzzling fun is Agent A. It only took a few hours to complete, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it; it took me back to the days of browser-based escape room games from the early 2000s.
I've also played Headspun, a cartoon-meets-FMV game about the people who live in your head. It's a incredibly cool idea, unfortunately one that's let down a bit by a myriad of bugs. Last but not least is Telling Lies, Sam Barlow's follow-up to Her Story. I've not finished it yet, but I'm engrossed in its narrative. It offers you less direction than Her Story, but once you begin to uncover its story, it's hard to put down. It's already been added to our best FMV games list, and I'll have a full review next week.
Headspun
Diggy: You'll have to wait until early next week to hear my thoughts on Children of Morta, a hack 'n' slash rogue-lite from Dead Mage Studios which has taken up most of my week.
However, I have also been playing a variety of really violent games such as DOOM (2016) and Dead Rising 2 for research purposes (and fun of course). The reason for this was I did an article trying to answer the question of why so many games are based around violence, with actual thoughtful considerations about the way games function. I promise it contains none of the judgemental snobbery the title might imply.
Becca: This week I played the fun adventure game Effie. It reminds me a lot of older adventure games like Crash Bandicoot or Spyro or even modern LEGO games. It's a good title that gamers of all ages would get a kick out of. I also revisited Hotline Miami Collection on the Nintendo Switch. The collection includes both Hotline Miami games, and they're both just as fun the second time around. Violence, kick ass music and loads of retries – what more could you want?
I spent most of my time this week, however, on the adorable adventure game Knights and Bikes. It's a hand-drawn game that tells the story of two young girls who, by using their imaginations, make their drab-looking British isle a monster-filled hellscape. Equipped with their awesomely customised bikes and unique abilities you have to work together to save the island from a horrible curse. It's probably my favourite game of the year so far and I can't wait to play it again with my friends.
Knights and Bikes
Chris: I've been monkeying around in Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, which seems to have been an oddly divisive game. Repetitive as the game's tasks may be, each one becomes an adventure thanks to the hostile nature of your jungle environment. Discovering how to use tools gives me a great buzz; my issue is more with the bugs that crop up, one of which scuppered my hominids' hunting trip. But I've kept coming back for more, and I'm giving serious consideration to re-purchasing it when it hits the PS4 this December.
I'm also playing The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan and, having finished the game properly, am working out the best way to get every single member of my crew killed. Final girl? There'll be no-one left standing when I'm done. Look for an uplifting "How to murder everyone in Man of Medan" guide soon. It's an excellent game, though Until Dawn remains my favourite Supermassive release so far. I'm looking forward to Little Hope, the next entry in this series, hitting next year.
Stan: This week I played the game of 'Find your Luggage on the Airport Conveyor Belt'. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. But, since coming home (Stan is coming home, he's coming home, he's coming home, he's coming) I've got back to my career mode in Fifa 19. I signed all the new players to ensure that my team is as up to date as possible.
I'm very torn on Fifa 20 and whether I'll buy it or not. Fifa always appeals to me as a love football, but I'm constantly disappointed by the lack of changes and improvements. I am intrigued about how Fifa 20 will incorporate the new rules in the Premier League, and hopefully they find a way to make VAR more fun…
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