Home Uncategorized Who IS, What IS, EVIL?
I scoff when I see German TV making fuzzy the face of the mass criminal who just killed 149 people. What? To protect his privacy? The privacy of evil? Oh, some will say, to protect those who were close to him. Well, are they not co-culprit? From the village where the co-pilot was, he was well known to nuts. People knowing that ought to have contacted Lufthansa, or the authorities.
Evil is all too private.
Some have said, the mass murder by a (implicitly well educated, disciplined) German was unlikely. But Nazi was, mostly, an enormous mass murder-suicide. It differed only in scale.
Fifty years ago, intellectuals worried about nuclear war. On the face of it, it was a strange worry: the USSR and the USA were fighting for world supremacy. Their elites wanted to control the planet, they were overstretched in all ways.
The USSR crashed and burned, Putin is trying to revive the ambers.
Now people have forgotten about nuclear weapons. But they are here, more than ever. Why did they forget? Because the world has become morally asleep. And why that? Because much greater danger are not just looming, but exerting their grip. Reality has become an inconvenient distraction on the way to lucidity.
The situation is worse now: it is easier than ever to make nuclear weapons. It is not just a question of ever more efficient ultracentrifuges in underground fortresses. There are now even more advanced methods, using lasers, to separate Uranium isotopes. The USA itself is starting to use lasers to separate the highly explosive U235.
France and the USA are the two countries in the West which make thermonuclear weapons (Britain just buys them from the USA, and Israel got the technology from France). France and the USA have not made a technological breakthrough that would allow to neutralize nukes.
So, at this point, from lack of technological progress, nuclear weapons are still the ultimate weapon. And they are getting ever easier to make.
What does that mean for the talks with Iran? Well, that it is the occasion to refine an intrusive regime of nuclear inspections, to be used as a paradigm with other nations.
And what of Obama's naive will, initially, to do away with nuclear weapons (thus affording a pretext to give him a Nobel)?
Well, as the world is, the safest way to prevent nuclear war is to augment the military research budgets of the West (only Israel has been doing well that way, devising plenty of anti-ballistic missile systems, with USA help…) Yes, I know, it's cynical. But flowers won't work.
Usually I roll out the usual suspect, Abrahamic entities. Here now, we have a 27 pilot. He wants to become captain. But he knows his sick mind will not allow it. So he let go with the very depth of the human Dark Side: he brings another 149 innocent people, including babies with himself. The Will To Extermination.
Hitler was just the same.
When the war was clearly lost, the Nazis kept on fighting. At this point many average Germans who previously supported Nazism turned against it: why could not the Nazis give up, as even the Kaiser had, in World War One? Because of the Will to Extermination. The extermination of whom they wanted to exterminate was the Nazis' main industry in their last few months. If they did not know it before, now the Germans could clearly see that the Will to Extermination was the Nazis' main motivation. That maybe why the day it surrendered, Germans never supported Nazism again (in most ways; and differently from Japan, where the population never saw their imperial forces in full extermination mode: that happened on the national territory, only in Okinawa, a smallish, distant island).
The Greeks knew that Pluto could make itself invisible. The evil co-pilot hid his madness from his employer, just as he hid from his employer that he was under doctor's order to stop working.
Pilots ought to be required to make their health physical and mental PUBLIC property. That ought to be true even for those piloting a car for Uber. If they don't like it, they can do something else.
To be able to kill people en masse ought to be viewed as a privilege given by the masses to a few, in counterpart of what, they keep an eye on these few, at all and any moment.
Hitler claimed he was out to help oppressed minorities, oppressed workers, and make Germany proud, great. He claimed to be against "plutocrats" (his word!) In truth his real aims were not this, and he knew all too well that he brandished the red of revolution (Soviet style), when actually he was sponsored by plutocrats. And, while he claimed to be a nationalist, he was blatantly and gigantically supported by American plutocrats such as Henry Ford.
Nowadays, Pluto is hiding better than ever.
The world's richest man, and arguably greatest monopolist, instead of being in jail, has self-defined as the greatest philanthropist, and now directs health research worldwide in the coffers of what he, his family and associates have invested in. All of this tax free, of course.
You want another example of spectacular evil? What about starving people to make corporations and their plutocrats even richer?
DO BIOFUEL POLICIES SEEK TO CUT EMISSIONS BY CUTTING FOOD? YES!
A study published yesterday, March 27, 2015, in the journal Science found that government biofuel policies rely on reductions in food consumption to generate greenhouse gas savings.
How much more evil can one get?
Shrinking the amount of food that people and livestock eat decreases the amount of carbon dioxide that they breathe out or excrete as waste. The reduction in food available for consumption, rather than any inherent fuel efficiency, drives the decline in carbon dioxide emissions in government models, the researchers found.
"Without reduced food consumption, each of the models would estimate that biofuels generate more emissions than gasoline," said Timothy Searchinger, first author on the paper and a research scholar at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy.
Searchinger's co-authors were Robert Edwards and Declan Mulligan of the Joint Research Center at the European Commission; Ralph Heimlich of the consulting practice Agricultural Conservation Economics; and Richard Plevin of the University of California-Davis.
The study looked at three models used by U.S. and European agencies, and found that all three estimate that some of the crops diverted from food to biofuels are not replaced by planting crops elsewhere. About 20 percent to 50 percent of the net calories diverted to make ethanol are not replaced through the planting of additional crops, the study found.
The result is that less food is available, and, according to the study, these missing calories are not simply extras enjoyed in resource-rich countries. Instead, when less food is available, prices go up.
"The impacts on food consumption result not from a tailored tax on excess consumption but from broad global price increases that will disproportionately affect some of the world's poor," Searchinger said.
The models used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board indicate that ethanol made from corn and wheat generates modestly fewer emissions than gasoline. The fact that these lowered emissions come from reductions in food production is buried in the methodology and not explicitly stated, the study found.
The European Commission's model found an even greater reduction in emissions. It includes reductions in both quantity and overall food quality due to the replacement of oils and vegetables by corn and wheat, which are of lesser nutritional value.
"Without these reductions in food quantity and quality, the [European] model would estimate that wheat ethanol generates 46% higher emissions than gasoline and corn ethanol 68% higher emissions," Searching said.
The Science paper recommends that modelers show their work more transparently so that policymakers can decide if they wish to seek greenhouse gas reductions from food reductions.
Actually "policymakers" is the concept that hide the truth. It is to We the People to decide whether we should starve so that plutocrats can jet around the world in their private jets, while plotting our fate, and future ill-gotten gains, and powers they attribute themselves ever more generously, while we are invited to partake in ever more austerity.
Plutocracy is not just an inconvenience. As its name indicates, it is the ultimate evil. And it hides. We have to make sure it does not become a fate. And that means, first, to roll it out of its hiding places, from the minds of co-pilots to haughty policies which are anything but.
We are not led by great leaders, intelligence and goodness. We have been led, astray, by viciousness and the basest instincts, all too much. Time to withdraw the respect, and change course. As Dominique Deux half-joked in a comment on this site, time to make an app where passengers will vote: "… automatic implementation of the majority vote.
n They'll never ever vote for doom.
We are all passengers on this Earth. And any baby has more right to be, than Bill Gates. Or any of our other great leaders. And those who have already abused power massively (see the food for fuel policy above), ought to have less right to be in power than anybody else.
Searchinger, R. Edwards, D. Mulligan, R. Heimlich, and R. Plevin. Do biofuel policies seek to cut emissions by cutting food? Science 27 March 2015: 1420-1422. DOI: 10.1126/science.1261221.


Gallery wall location? Check! Gallery wall images? Check! It's time to nail down the perfect layout for your next wall art gallery!
So you've figured out where your gallery wall will go and which images you want to display… but how the heck are you supposed to display them? Let's dive into a handful of tried-and-true tips for choosing the best layout for your next wall art masterpiece!
The first thing to consider is whether or not there is one image that you'd like to feature among the rest. If your clients do have a favorite photo out of the bunch, make that your largest piece and place it at eye-level. Build the rest of the gallery wall around this featured image, with smaller supporting products.
While it's totally fine to create asymmetrical gallery wall layouts, it's still important to keep a balance in your designs. Consider your featured image to be the center of the see-saw of your gallery, keeping as much "weight" on one side as the other. Did you add two small images to the left side? Great, add one large image to the right, and you'll be good to go.
As you start adding photos to your gallery wall, be careful to keep similar colors separate from each other. If mixing black and white with color images, try to alternate them throughout your gallery so you don't end up with one side more heavy with black and white or color than the other.
Along the same lines as the previous two points, try to maintain balance in the compositional style and content of the photos in your gallery. If you have a few images with a lot of negative space, spread those out across the gallery instead of placing them near each other. If your chosen photos have multiple locations or similar poses, spread those across the gallery as well.
If you're just looking to create a balanced, clean gallery wall design, you can never go wrong with a triptych, which is just a fancy term for "group of three photos". Triptychs are tried and true and they're about as visually appealing as any layout can get.
Not feeling a triptych? Try a grid, instead. Both layouts epitomize balance and will fit easily into just about any space.
The Swift Galleries wall gallery design software makes it a piece of cake to design gallery walls your clients will love! With predesigned layouts and an intuitive way to create and save your own new layouts, you'll never run out of great gallery wall design ideas!


text:
Interviews Available: Critical Voices on Iraq
STEPHEN ZUNES
Associate professor of politics at the University of San Francisco and senior policy analyst and Middle East editor for the Foreign Policy in Focus Project, Zunes said today: "Claims of Iraqi ties to Al Qaeda appear to be little more than a desperate effort by administration officials to convince the American public to support a reckless military adventure. Reports by the State Department, the CIA, the FBI and foreign intelligence agencies have all found no evidence to support such assertions. Osama bin Laden and his fundamentalist Al Qaeda movement have long demonstrated their hatred of Saddam Hussein and his secular Ba'ath Party, and the Iraqi dictator has been ruthless in his repression of Islamist opponents. Iraq's support of international terrorism peaked during the 1980s and was limited to radical secular groups like Abu Nidal. (Ironically, the U.S. dropped Iraq from its list of states sponsoring terrorism during that period in order to provide Saddam's regime with economic and military assistance!) Furthermore, Saddam Hussein is foremost a survivor. He knows that to give any support to Al Qaeda would provide the Bush administration the excuse it has been looking for to invade Iraq and topple his regime."
ANAS SHALLAL
A "Partner for Peace" with the Seeds of Peace program, one of the founders of the Mesopotamia Cultural Society and an independent Iraqi-American business owner in Washington, D.C., Shallal said today: "There's a lot of misunderstanding about how most Iraqis feel about the situation. I currently have relatives from Iraq visiting me. They definitely want to see some change, but they don't want it to come from outside. They want to be able to make that change themselves. The Iraqi National Congress is an unsavory group of people. They are tainted by all the CIA money they have taken and are not very well respected by the Iraqi mainstream. For any change to be credible, it has to come from within the society. Iraqis are under sanctions and this has taken a real toll, and they blame most of that on the West. The sanctions have also isolated Iraqis in terms of information and freedom of movement and that makes Saddam more powerful."
Bennis spoke on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. She is a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and co-editor of Beyond the Storm: A Gulf Crisis Reader.
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
KBR and Rheinmetall join forces to acquire UK Defence Support Group
admin 17 September 2014
Rheinmetall Defence and KBR have submitted a joint venture (JV) bid to acquire the UK's state-owned military vehicle and small-arms maintenance and repair company, Defence Support Group (DSG).
Under the KBR-Rheinmetall ownership, DSG is expected to become a centre of excellence for defence engineering, while remaining a trusted partner, implementing the UK Army's strategy for equipment support.
"The acquisition provides an excellent opportunity for the DSG to develop new business opportunities."
KBR Infrastructure, Government and Power, Europe, Middle East and Africa business unit president Andrew Pringle said: "KBR is confident that its long track record of programme delivery, working with the MoD (Ministry of Defence) over the last 25 years, including experience in building and operating the existing DSG facility in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, will make for a very strong contender.
"With innovative thinking, I am confident we will provide a more efficient, value for money and agile solution.
"The acquisition provides an excellent opportunity for the DSG to develop new business opportunities and we are certain that our combined capabilities, supported by those of the existing workforce, will make for an unparalleled partnership."
Rheinmetall Defence UK director Dr Deniz Akituerk said: "The combination of Rheinmetall's land systems engineering capability, KBR's unparalleled project management skills and the knowledge and dedication of the DSG workforce makes a compelling case for the acquisition of DSG.
"Together, we will ensure that DSG remains a flexible and reliable element of the army support system, whilst we invest in developing the business to address the new sectors in the UK and overseas."
Established in April 2008, DSG is a wholly owned trading fund of the UK MoD, and provides maintenance, repair and overhaul for military air and land equipment, mobile and in-barracks equipment support, fleet management, calibration, electronics, components and logistics support.
Other companies bidding to take over DSG include Dyncorp International, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and URS, as reported by DefenseNews.
Identify the key trends in the soldier modernization systems market over the next two years


The Americas have been a key driver of regional trade agreements (RTAs) since the 1990s. This study considers the effect of these agreements on trade liberalization, and the lessons that this offers for other parts of the world, notably Asia. It finds broad geographical coverage of RTAs in the Americas, and evidence that these agreements have broadened and deepened liberalization. It stresses the importance of looking beyond tariffs on goods, to consider liberalization of services and removal of non-tariff barriers, both for academics assessing the true extent of liberalization, and for policymakers looking to ensure well-functioning RTAs. It suggests that RTAs can encourage broader liberalization in Asia, but some sectors will be resistant to liberalization. Moreover, efforts must be made to harmonize the provisions of RTAs, to avoid costly multiplication of rules and to ensure a web of bilateral deals does not undermine multilateral trade.


Individuality and a familiar ambiance combined with the highest quality standards are the strong points of each single affiliated and thus the corporate USP of the hotel cooperation named "PrivateCityHotels".
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Nefeli graduated with a BA in French Language & Literature (University of Athens), an MA in Choreography (Middlesex University) and an MSc in Dance Science (Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance), supported by 3 scholarships from Trinity Laban. Currently she is in the Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship Advisory Committee for Dance in Europe, she works as Associate Researcher at the Cyprus Musculoskeletal & Sports Trauma Research Centre. Moreover, she serves on the Board of Directors of Healthy Dancer Canada (HDC) and the United Breakin' Association (UBA). She is also a freelance Choreographer, Dancer, and a Sports Massage Therapist. Recently she has been included as a co-opted member of the Education Committee of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science Education Committee.
Nefeli has been dancing for 22 years, having as her main dance training classical ballet in Cyprus and Greece. She was a Lecturer in Dance at Universities across London from 2011-2015. In the midst of her journey as a professional dancer and maker, Nefeli underwent a serious operation due to an injury which stopped her from continuing her career smoothly. Nefeli has devoted her work to the mission of reducing the risk of injuries and offering career longevity to a healthier dancer, with Project Breakalign's research, lectures, workshops and her active participation in international breaking competitions since her return to performing in 2011. Nefeli was awarded the following awards for her dance medicine and science research: Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund (NY, USA), Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship (Italy), Gill Clarke Resource Fund, 'Centre National de la Danse' research funding (France) to develop the 'Breakalign Method', 'Dance UK's Dancers' Mentoring Programme', finalist for the 'Change Maker Award' by London Inspires Awards.
International speaking engagements between 2012-2017 include Dance Science Research Network Symposium (Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance), One Dance UK's Conference Mind the Gap: Train Smart |Improve Performance (UEL), Interweaving Cultures (University of Malta), Centre National de la Danse (France), Brazil-UK Network in Dance Medicine & Science (Brazil), Performing Arts Medicine Association's Annual Conference (L.A.), Healthy Dancer Canada Annual Conference (Canada), International Association for Dance Medicine & Science Annual Conference 2016&2017 (Hong Kong & Texas), Serendipity's Blurring Boundaries: Urban street meets contemporary dance (UK), PoP Moves Emerging Scholars Symposium 2012 (UK), Conference of Contemporary Music & Dance (UK). Nefeli's professional performance and/or choreographic credits include Olympics Opening Ceremony, RIOT Offspring/Sadlers Wells, Open Art Surgery/Breakin Convention, Dance Umbrella/Barbican, B.Supreme UK Tour, BIDE, The Place and more. In addition, she was a model in the ELLE-Adidas MyGirl Global campaign in 2013. She has been competing in Breaking battles since 2010 and won B.Supreme bgirl battle in 2013.
As a senior member of the Soul Mavericks Crew, Gavin has performed worldwide and represented the UK competitively for the past 11 years. Gavin's dance style is both fluid and intricate and he has a wealth of power moves which are effortlessly combined with technical and innovative transitions. As an experienced and versatile b-boy, Gavin has the ability to adapt his movements to multiple performance environments and fuse with other styles of dance. With an extensive list of accolades spanning the length of his career, as well as being a qualified physiotherapist, his multiple skills and undeniable talent make him one of the UK's most prolific b-boys.
Bboy Hatsolo is part of FlowMo crew in Finland. Johannes "Hatsolo" Hattunen is one of the world's most famous breakers. During his career, the internationally acknowledged dancer and Champion of Red Bull BC One Scandinavia 2012, has earned three subsequent Scandinavian Championships and won several world-famous competitions such as Circle Kingz (Switzerland) and Rock Steady Crew Anniversary (USA). Hatsolo is an inspiring teacher and known for his high energy and strong, recognizable style on the dance floor.
Spin is making his mark on the international scene. Spin has spent the past five years travelling all across Europe and beyond to test his skills against the world's best. As well as being a good all rounder, Spin's unique footwork skills, original combinations and style have gained him great respect from his peers on the scene both at home and abroad. Spin has been National Solo B-Boy Champion 3 times and has represented the UK for for the last five years at the UK B-Boy Championships World Finals. Spin has a BSc in Sports Science from Metropolitan University London.
Keir is currently a doctor at the Royal London Hospital, Dancer in Residence for Vital Arts, Honorary Research Fellow at the UCL Institute for Health and Human Performance, and a 2017 UCL Partners Improvement Fellow. He started bboying over 15 years ago as a founding member of the Bristol based Physical Jerks Crew. Since then, he has performed and taught dance across the UK, South Africa & South America. Dr.Keir currently runs, and contributes to a number of projects combining dance and health, including dance-based rehabilitation, following hip fracture, and dance-based pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis.
Miroslav has recently achieved a BSc (Hons) Degree in Sport and Exercise Sciences at University of Worcester. His dissertation was focused on Dietary habits, nutrition knowledge and supplement use among Breakers. He is also an active bboy, competing internationally, dance teacher and self-employed performer. Additionally, he does calisthenics, a bit of Olympic weightlifting and overall he is researching other possible training methods to support dance. He is very interested in nutrition, health, exercise physiology and sports psychology. Within nutrition, his interests are intermittent fasting diets (20-23h fasting/day), vegan and vegetarian diets, fasting, caloric restriction and sports/health supplements. He has personal experiences of all dietary lifestyles mentioned above and he is still researching them. He is planning to obtain MSc in Sports Nutrition and also accreditation by ISSN (International Society of Sports Nutrition). He has also gained experiences in Nutritional Therapy. Moreover, he is currently working with a few professional athletes from several sports (crossfit, football) with the vision to transform his experience to breakers.
Miguel first came into contact with the scene by watching music videos on TV in 2002, in which he began the process of teaching himself the movements he has seen on TV. He began learning on his own, and then traveled into the Philadelphia area to learn more on bboying, housing, and the various funk styles from several different crews. With this same process of learning comes trial by error which carried with it injuries in a several forms.
From his own injuries stemmed a love for understanding biomechanics and motor control, learning why we move the way we move, on top of learning ways to improve performance for other dancers. By understanding the fundamentals and applying them in a pragmatic manner, Miguel quickly gained a reputation and began working with athletes and dancers in the US, East Coast area, and beyond. Miguel has a degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, and along with working with top professionals in the strength and conditioning world, regularly cooperates with physical therapists to improve performance outcomes for dancers, athletes, and general population alike.
Robert Tsai, originally from Taipei, is a 3rd year Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Chapman University in Irvine, CA. Growing up in Taiwan, Rob was introduced to breakin' in 1999, which also sparked interest in other forms of dance. In 2008, Rob received his BA from Chapman University in Communication Studies, along with a dance performance minor. He subsequently pursued a professional dance career in the LA commercial dance industry but found a passion for teaching and education. He has had the privilege of sharing and connecting with students from various high schools, colleges, as well as fellow dance educators across the US and in Taiwan. Through teaching and witnessing the positive power of change through movement, Rob was motivated to continue his education and pursue physical therapy in 2015, in hopes of raising injury prevention awareness in dance. Currently, Rob is formulating research examining factors which contribute to low back pain in breakers, and plans to continue devoting time to spreading injury prevention awareness in dance through clinical practice and public education.
With his love for performing arts and a concern of others' well-being, he was led to study a Bsc in Sports Therapy. Since then he continued by attending modules from MSc Sports Rehabilitation and Triage and now studying part-time MSc in Performing Arts Medicine at UCL. Alongside his studies, he is also a therapist for a rugby club based in Luton, a Sports Lecturer in Barnfield College, a gymnastics instructor and also works with clients in the Bedford Integrative Health Centre.
Erin Sanchez is the Healthier Dancer Programme Manager (job share) at Dance UK, and administrates the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation's Medical Website for healthcare professionals and dancers. Originally from the United States, Erin pursued vocational dance training with American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet School and the Alvin Ailey School. She also holds a BA (Hons) in Dance and Sociology from the University of New Mexico and an MSc in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. Erin is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) and has lectured in dance science, taught dance technique and holds the qualification in Safe and Effective Dance Practice.
Sarah is a Research Fellow at the University of Chichester within the Occupational Performance Research Group. She holds a BSc(Hons) in Exercise and Sport Sciences from the University of Exeter, an MSc(Dist) in Dance Science, and a PhD in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Her PhD research investigated aspects of cardiorespiratory fitness within contemporary dance training and performance and studies within this have been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and presented at national and international conferences. Sarah has previously worked as Healthier Dancer Programme Manager at One Dance UK and as a Visiting Lecturer in Dance Science at various institutions including Trinity Laban and the University of Bedfordshire. Sarah is an active member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS), currently serving on the Promotion Committee and as Advisor to the Student Committee.
Anne grew up in Dresden, Germany. She is a Dietician and health scientist (BSc) from Leipzig, Germany. She has acquired a Certificate as a Nutritionist for the German Nutrition Association in Cologne/Bonn (DGE). Currently, she is working in different settings and projects with the youth in schools, where she shows them all the necessary information about a healthy lifestyle. Next to the nutrition, she also teaches kids Breaking and House to show them the complexity of the combination of movements and the healthy nutrition is. She is interested in supporting Project Breakalign to avoid common diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, overweight and heart diseases. Because you are what you eat.
DJ Renegade has a long history in Hip Hop.From its arrival in the UK he has been a part of the scene in one form or another. Starting as a 1st generation street dancer in 1982, he progressed to djing in 1986. A specialist in providing music for breakers, poppers, lockers and Hip Hop.He is a regular DJ at all of the big dance events across the globe including; UK BBoy Champs, IBE, BOTY, R16, Freestyle Session, Juste Debout, HipOpsession, Redbull BC1, BreakOnStage, EuroBattle, OutBreak, WOD, and more. He has had a major influence on the type, style and the way music is played at dance events around the world. He has 20 years of martial arts experience and he is the coach of UK's National Champions 'Soul Mavericks' and 'Monsterz' Popping crew. He was a Lecturer in Dance at UEL until 2013.
Known for his smooth and funky style, Ereson 'Mouse' Catipon began bboying when he moved to England from the Philippines is 1996. Since his first exposure to the bboy culture, Mouse has dedicated the last 15 years to perfecting his art. With numerous solo b-boy titles under his belt, Mouse has gained international respect as the forerunner of the UK b-boy scene. Mouse was the 2006 World B-Boy Champion having won the tough solo battle at the UK B-Boy Championships World Finals. He was also the runner up in the 2008 finals. Mouse is an original member of the highly acclaimed Funkstylerz UK dance company and B-Boy Allstars. He has built up an impressive resume of performances, from major advertising campaigns to working with the likes of Madonna. He is also part of the theatre show 'Life of a Bboy' which he co-wrote and choreographed with Funkstylerz UK. The show features the stories of the lives of three b-boys and their journeys of discovery through b-boying. The show toured the UK and Europe in 2006 and received rave reviews after performances to sell out crowds. Mouse's cheeky personality and crowd pleasing moves make him a natural showman who is adored by audiences wherever he performs.
'Storm' started dancing as a little child, but seriously caught on to the dances Bboying, Popping and Locking at the age of 14. His first tours he did for "Bravo Breakdancesensation 84". Soon after that, the big fashion 'Breakdance' died out. Nevertheless, he didn't stop studying styles, got connected with other Bboys and stayed creative and productive throughout the times when Breakin' was considered obsolete. By 1991 his group "the Battle Squad" was one of the leading bboy groups worldwide and thanks to them and others, the art of Bboying is so alive and strong these days. In 1991 and 1992 him and his crew Battle Squad won the "international Battle of the Year". Because of the struggle in times when Bboying was out of fashion and the fact that he 's been dancing for so long, he decided to establish HipHop culture in the theatre world. From 1992 on he danced with a New Yorker dance Company called 'Ghettoriginal'. He performed shows in Washington's 'Kennedy Center' and in NY City's 'Lincoln center'. During the same period he was hosting the HipHop Magazine 'Freestyle' on the german TV channel Viva. Briefly after quitting the job in early 1996, he decided to form a dance company in his hometown Berlin, which was called the 'Storm and Jazzy Project'. With two choreographies they toured many different theatres around the world The first performance was seen in February 1997 in the "maison de la danse" in Lyon. In 2000, Storm decided to create a Solo, named "Solo for two"; It's been shown all over the world in more than 50 different countries and 160 cities. Nowadays Storm also choreographs and directs for different theaters and institutions all over the world. He also choreographed for the opening ceremonies of the "Expo 2000" in Hannover and the "FIFA soccer world cup 2006 in Germany". In 2004 he starred in the German HipHop movie "Status yo" and played a gas station worker. In 2010 he starred in the dance movie "Berlin dance Battle 3D" and played himself. Storm is teaching all over the world on different dance festivals throughout each year. Since 2001 he is educating annually at the "Impulstanz" festival in Vienna. He developed his own didactical methods which are based on the original concepts of the styles Locking, Popping and Bboying.
One of UK's foremost B-girls and founder of 'FLOWZAIC' UK's first all female Breaking crew Sunanda performed, judged and hosted at some of the biggest Hip Hop and B-boy events from UK B-Boy Championships, Nike Dance Clash to Battle Of The Year and B-Supreme women in Hip-Hop festival at the SouthBank Centre. She was co-choreographer for the NHS segment of the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony and is now Associate Director of 'Grounded' who gave their début performance at Sadler's Wells Breakin' Convention's 2013 tenth anniversary. Other credits include: choreographer on the Bafta Award winning film 'Fishtank' working with Andrea Arnold; Mel B, Gabriel and touring with 'Take That' as a featured rapper.
Aline has been learning dance for 25 years, from ballet to house dance, and she has been a dancer of the amateur contemporary dance company "Océane" for four years. She has a master degree of Jurist and Manager of Artistic and Cultural Organisations. She worked for Dance Theater Workshop in New York, within the Marketing Department, and then as the Production and Administration Manager of Juste Debout in Paris. In 2009 she started to work for the French Federation of Circus Schools, where she was in charge of communication and European projects. She was running the secretarial work of the European Youth Circus Organisation. Additionally, Aline is involved in several dance projects such as the Quality Street Company and IBE in the Netherlands. She also organised the presence of physiotherapists for Red Bull BC One World Final in Paris. In 2014 she successfully graduated in Sports Sciences from the University of Paris 12 and she is currently studying Physiotherapy in France.


This is a blog devoted to the comic strip "Pluggers", about the "80 percent of humanity who unceremoniously keep plugging along -- balancing work, play and family life." This strip is also described as "America's first interactive, reader-participation comic." That sounds like most of us, right? And our fellow Americans are sending in the ideas. So let's see how it matches up with reality, shall we?
Look, either you take great care of your car, or you don't! Show some damn consistency, Pluggers!
ETA to fix the date. Apparently I still have two more days of class this week.
The comic is reproduced here for purposes of review only, and all rights remain with the creator, Gary Brookins.
Ableist Word Profile at FWD This is a good place to start. It's an ongoing series. The posts are "101" so feel free to ask questions, as long as they're not "FREE SPEECH!!!!" or "Why does this matter?" Anyone commenting here who uses such words to describe me or the comics will get a warning and if they continue, their comments will be deleted. Please respect me at my blog. It's not censorship, it's my personal blog. I am not the government. And the internet is not the USA. If you must, go to your own blog, or to twitter or facebook and use it. You're free to do so. Just not here. Yes, I have used ableist language here in the past. Not proud of it, but I'm not going to go back and edit all the posts where I did. It's important to see how I've grown as a person.
This is an R Word free blog.
Only Pluggers Are Allowed To Use The Word "Pluggers"


text:
Foam Product Design
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High-End Headphones: Audio Foam
Automotive Polishing Foam Sourcing Solutions
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Padprop – High-density foam tablet holder
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Water Filtration Foams
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Meet The Team – Hannah Hawken – One To Watch
by Duncan Geddes 03.07.2020
Hannah Hawken – One To Watch
Continuing our series on looking at what it feels like to work for Technical Foam Services, the UK's best and most trusted foam conversion business (well, in our opinion anyway), Andy Goram from Bizjuicer, sat down with Key Account Manager, Hannah Hawken.
At just twenty-something, Hannah is the youngest member of the TFS sales team. She's worked for TFS for 4 years. In those four years, many things have changed at TFS, but one thing hasn't; Hannah's drive to improve and work hard. It's immediately visible in her attitude, but not something that she readily talks about. You have to dig. But it is there in spades (apologies for the pun). This work ethic stems from her farming parents and is the basis for her burgeoning career at TFS.
As a student in Cornwall, Hannah wasn't sure what she wanted to do, so she took the sensible approach to study business at college. "I figured, business is everywhere. If I got a good grounding in business, it would help me find a job when I knew what I wanted to do." Whilst studying, the farmer work ethic shone through as Hannah worked two jobs to generate some income. Family played quite a large role in Hannah's early working career.
Her first job was at her Dad's local pub working in the kitchen and doing a bit of serving. Pretty much everyone in her family, except her Dad, worked in that pub at some stage. Hannah's second job was in a restaurant, where she quickly became the restaurant manager. This job was originally secured by her Gran, who ate their regularly taking advantage of the "Ladies Lunch" promotion. She put a word in with the manager, and the rest is history.
Hannah thinks back to those days fondly and says, "I worked with some great people in the restaurant and I learnt all my social skills there. It was so different from being in the kitchen. I loved getting to build relationships with the customers." "It's basically where I learnt how to chat", she laughs. "And it set me up for the job I do at TFS today."
"So, why are you working here?", I ask Hannah. "Foam conversion is a long way from Hospitality." "Blimey! That's a big question to start with", she jokes. Hannah goes on to explain that she followed her partner to Northampton, from Cornwall. "He's a talented shoe designer, so this is like the centre of the UK shoe universe for him." She tells the story of how he started playing football with her now boss, Ross Thurlow, who mentioned there was a maternity cover role in the sales office going. "So, I applied and got the job." "It was only ever meant to be a temporary thing." Four years on, she's still here – a recurring theme with quite a few folk at TFS.
Starting as Sales Support, the maternity cover time flew-by, but Hannah had still only thought about it as a short-term thing, but then this new opportunity came up. The business was growing fast, and Duncan and Ross needed to be able to focus on the new opportunities without damaging the relationship with our existing clients that they looked after. So, the Key Account Manager role was born, and I took it on. "And four years later you are still here, Hannah," I say. "I know!" she says, "But do you know what? In all that time I've never once had a day when I've dreaded coming into work. I absolutely love working with the people here. I love to chat and the attitude and atmosphere here suit that."
When Hannah started here, she would sit and listen to the team talk about foam types and processes not knowing what on earth they were going on about. She did not know the materials, processes, job types or even customers at the start. It was only going to be a temporary thing after all. But when the permanent position came up a switch was flicked in her head and things started to get serious.
"I like being confident in what I'm doing. If I feel confident, I know I can do a good job in something", she says. "Like, if someone asked me a question about any of the items on the restaurant menu, I instantly knew the answer. As simple as knowing that sausage and mash come with gravy, I needed to get the same level of confidence with all the foam stuff." So, Hannah set about getting to grips with it all. She never really got any specific training from the team at TFS back then, everyone was too busy, so she made a point of learning on the job. Following jobs around the factory to learn the processes and speaking to suppliers about foam types. She was like a sponge (something TFS convert a lot of), generally making sure she knew how everything worked.
Just like Hannah, in the last 3 years, TFS has gone from strength to strength. In the early days, Hannah felt like she was hassling for more work, trying to stretch an hour of real work into a full day. Nowadays she's lucky if there's an hour in the day with slightly less work, but she confesses to loving it.
We're so much more planned today and customers are so much more demanding. "The Amazon-effect means that customers have come to expect that you order something, and it arrives the next day", says Hannah. "But it's not like that in manufacturing. There's more to it. We have to spec, design, build, test, productionise and dispatch." "But at TFS we are probably better than the competition at responding more quickly to customers. We have to be, or else they'll go elsewhere."
A key part of making the TFS engine work with more agility than the competition and keeping customers satisfied, is the relationship Hannah has with Przemyslaw Gorecki, the Operations Manager. As the Key Account Manager, Hannah often finds herself in the middle of the customer and the production schedule. Her ability to plan and negotiate with both sides has vastly improved over the last four years and means more often than not, everybody wins. "I just hate letting customers down, so I'll always do what I can to get the right result for everyone" she proclaims.
It's not just the ability to respond quickly that signals why Hannah thinks TFS has become the go-to foam converting choice. "We've really embraced the access our website has given us to the market." "Originally, I was surprised how many enquiries came through the website, but nowadays I handle as many enquiries through live web chat, as I do on the phone." "It's so responsive. I know I like to use that facility when I'm shopping as it gives me an answer then and there, and it's the same with a lot of our customers too."
Hannah is someone who wants to do their best and quietly gets on with the job of making customers and colleagues happy. She gives off a real sense of pride when she talks about what she does and the customers she looks after. She doesn't want to let anyone down. She neatly sums this up by saying, "The better I am at my job, the less bad things I have to deal with and the happier my customers are. And that's the most important thing."
It's clear to me that Hannah is a smart, driven, competent, capable, self-starter. When we discuss what lies ahead for Hannah, she gives me a funny look. "I'm really not sure" is her answer. "I don't want to go anywhere else. I can't think of a single reason to. I'm learning, developing and getting more responsibility. I'm not missing out on anything. So why move?", and I can't argue with that answer. It's no surprise to me when I later find out that Hannah has taken it upon herself to start studying for a business degree through the Open University. She didn't mention it during our chat. She's too modest. But it goes to show that she has real commitment and determination to improve and succeed in her career.
She may be the youngest member of the team I've spoken to so far, but her drive, enthusiasm and confidence are exciting to witness. Hannah is definitely one to watch.
We like to think of TFS as the UK's best and most trusted foam converter. You can find out more about us here.
Andy Goram helps create stickier, more successful businesses by connecting strategy, brand, and culture to their people.
Find out how we can
help your business
Open-Cell vs Closed-Cell Foam: Which do You Need?
Meet The Team – Kristine Harlamova – The Medic-in-Waiting
Egg box soundproofing: does it really work?
Meet the Team – Wieslaw Wyrebek – Carpenter of the People
Meet The Team – Iwona Bartnicka – Agatha Christie's Biggest Fan
57 Burkitt Rd, Earlstrees Industrial Estate, Corby Northants England NN17 4DT


In the ever-changing world of IT, direction, execution and profitability will differentiate the leaders in the industry. An experienced management team, challenging projects, prestigious clients, growth opportunities, motivated colleagues and an array of employee benefits are among the many reasons to join our team.
IT services. This means growth for everyone at Micro-World and more career opportunities everyday. Our employees are the reason we've come this far. As we grow, it is even more important to retain the passion, creativity, learning and fun that make Micro-World such an exciting place to be.
© 2007 Micro-World, All rights reserved.


At Think Cooling, we bring cost-effective, professional Surfers Paradise air conditioning to residents and developers. We are the top choice for all Gold Coast air conditioning installation and repair needs.
Think Cooling offer the best AC solutions the Gold Coast has to offer. We have the best products and services for all your Surfers Paradise air conditioning needs.
The rise in popularity of the best Gold Coast beach-side properties means a growing need for the best air conditioning Surfers Paradise can provide.
New residents and short-term visitors want a room with a view and great climate control. That is why Think Cooling air conditioning Main Beach technicians are ready to help.
Why Choose Think Cooling for Surfers Paradise Air Conditioning?
The only way to get a reliable AC service in Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and the surrounding area is to use a technician that ticks all the right boxes. That means someone who knows all there is to know about their products and effective procedures.
At the same time, they need to be friendly and flexible enough to help ensure that the appointments are stress-free. Customers can receive all of this when they contact us for Think Cooling air conditioning Bundall, Main Beach, Surfers Paradise and beyond.
We promise an effective service with the best products available on the Gold Coast.
There has been a spike in population growth at Surfers Paradise of 20.4% between the 2011 and 2016 censuses. This is a significant rise for the Gold Coast. While other areas have seen a bigger explosion in population as new fads and major developments emerge, this shows a more steady flow of a developing region.
The area has improved to meet the demands of its visitors and residents. There is a split in demand for properties between holidaymakers and permanent residents. Many want to come to this part of the coast for the weekend as a short break from the city or to catch some waves.
That is why the area has seen a steady rise in holiday rentals and conversions for short-term lets. There is also growth in nearby localities, but it is much slower. This meant a rise in the same time period in Main Beach of 11.1% and 8% in Bundall.
Many property developers in Surfers Paradise and the surrounding area will see the advantages in turning to a split system. These solutions are great in smaller spaces and are highly cost-effective when cooling and controlling the climate in open-plan rooms.
Many young couples and surfers will want a comfortable, compact space for a weekend or so. They may also be less bothered about the running costs if it isn't their responsibility. An effective split system could, therefore, change the way that you run these homes for the better.
Of course, not all properties in this region are built purely as holiday lets. There are also lots of couples and families looking to move into this growing region. Therefore, it makes sense to upgrade these larger properties with a more effective air con system.
A ducted system provides a simple way to bring cool air and temperature controls to every room in the house. Think Cooling can offer some great new systems as upgrades or installations, while also providing repairs and maintenance to existing systems.
Developers in these high-end suburbs can consider themselves lucky with the value of quality of their homes and properties. Many travellers see them as the ideal place to enjoy the Gold Coast scenery and climate. However, that climate can be quite unforgiving inland.
That is why it helps to upgrade an air con system, where possible, to one that will handle these conditions. MyAir systems are smart, adaptable and built to last. They offer energy efficient cooling to the optimal temperature when residents need it most.
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If you have a holiday apartment in this region – or any other Main Beach or Surfers Paradise property in need of AC maintenance, upgrades and new installation – you can call on our Think Cooling team for help.
We are ready to take your calls and emails to help you find the perfect AC system for your needs. Call us today to learn more about how our air conditioning Surfers Paradise services can help you.


text:
{
    matrix_id: '2830',
    name: 'ifiss_mat',
    group: 'Embree',
    description: 'Fluid stability problem, illustrates need for iter. refinement',
    author: 'M. Embree',
    editor: 'T. Davis',
    date: '2015',
    kind: 'computational fluid dynamics',
    problem_2D_or_3D: '1',
    num_rows: '96307',
    num_cols: '96307',
    nonzeros: '3599932',
    num_explicit_zeros: '0',
    num_strongly_connected_components: '1',
    num_dmperm_blocks: '1',
    structural_full_rank: 'true',
    structural_rank: '96307',
    pattern_symmetry: '1.000',
    numeric_symmetry: '0.285',
    rb_type: 'real',
    structure: 'unsymmetric',
    cholesky_candidate: 'no',
    positive_definite: 'no',
    notes: 'Fluid stability problem from IFISS package, Mark Embree, Virginia Tech

The matrix comes from a shift-invert eigenvalue computation that arises
during linear stability analysis of a 2D backward facing step.  The
discretizations were created with IFISS, which we also use to compute the
steady-state flow whose stability we are assessing.

Created by the IFISS package, by David Silvester (School of Mathematics,
Univ. of Manchester), Howard Elman (Computer Science, Univ. of Maryland),
and Alison Ramage (Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics, Univ. of
Strathclyde).  http://www.maths.manchester.ac.uk/~djs/ifiss/

This matrix requires one step of iterative refinement after LU
factorization.  x=A\b in MATLAB (using UMFPACK) does iterative refinement
by default but with just lu, no iterative refinement is done:

    In MATLAB R2014a:
    x = randn(96307,1);
    b = A*x;
    x1 = A\b;
    norm(x-x1) is 1.1045984e-12
    norm(b-A*x1) is 9.3538018e-15

    [L,U,P,Q,R] = lu(A);
    x2 = Q*(U\(L\(P*(R\b))));
    norm(x-x2) is 4.9150874e-05
    norm(b-A*x2) is 4.0055911e-07

The matrix is well conditioned, with singular values ranging from
1.003 to 2e-5.  The singluar values themselves are in
Problem.aux.singular_values.  The need for iterative refinement
comes from the threshold partial pivoting in UMFPACK, which tries
to balance reduction in fill with finding good numerical pivots.
Thus UMFPACK uses iterative refinement with sparse backward error using
the method described in Arioli, Demmel, and Duff, "Sovling sparse linear
systems with sparse backward error", SIAM J. Matrix Analysis & Applic,
vol 10, no 2, pp 165-190, Apr 1989).

The matrix itself is described in this paper:

https://arxiv.org/abs/1601.00044

Pseudospectra of Matrix Pencils for Transient Analysis of
Differential-Algebraic Equations

Mark Embree, Blake Keeler
(Submitted on 1 Jan 2016 (v1),
last revised 27 Jun 2017 (this version, v3))

To understand the solution of a linear, time-invariant
differential-algebraic equation, one must analyze a matrix pencil (A,E)
with singular E. Even when this pencil is stable (all its finite
eigenvalues fall in the left-half plane), the solution can exhibit
transient growth before its inevitable decay. When the equation results
from the linearization of a nonlinear system, this transient growth gives
a mechanism that can promote nonlinear instability. One might hope to
enrich the conventional large-scale eigenvalue calculation used for
linear stability analysis to signal the potential for such transient
growth. Toward this end, we introduce a new definition of the
pseudospectrum of a matrix pencil, use it to bound transient growth,
explain how to incorporate a physically-relevant norm, and derive
approximate pseudospectra using the invariant subspace computed in
conventional linear stability analysis. We apply these tools to several
canonical test problems in fluid mechanics, an important source of
differential-algebraic equations.
',
    aux_fields: 'singular_values: full 96307-by-1
',    image_files: 'ifiss_mat.png,',
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


After installing Apache_OpenOffice_Beta_4.1.0_Win_x86_install_pt.exe there is no Portuguese dictionary installed.
Installing Apache_OpenOffice_Beta_4.1.0_Win_x86_langpack_en-US.exe ontop of the Portuguese version doesn't install the en_US dictionary either.
This is true but not a bug.  OpenOffice is an open source project where the work is done by volunteers.  Apparently nobody volunteered to decide which dictionaries to include for the Portuguese version and adapt main/extensions.lst accordingly.
- Provide a list of languages for which dictionaries should be added.
- Optionally discuss this list on the dev mailing list.
If you want you can also adapt the main/extensions.lst to include those dictionaries, but I can do that for you, if you want.
I'm sorry but I don't have the time to check all languages.
Please see "Issue 124473 - No dictionary included in 4.1.0 Beta Language packs"!
Going back some versions I can see that Portuguese (from Portugal) has never been properly supported in OOo/AOO... In OOo version 3.3.0 the PT installer contained a PT-BR dictionary and there was no PT language pack. In 3.4.1 (couldn't find any server with 3.4.0) there is no PT installer or langpack. Apparently the menus and the help file are translated but the dictionaries/spelling always needed to be installed as a separate extension.
http://extensions.openoffice.org/en/project/european-portuguese-dictionaries ? Did you have the occasion to test it?
(note: due to Issue 124473 the integration will apply only to the full version, not to the language pack).
> ? Did you have the occasion to test it?
Yes, I installed the extension manually and it works perfectly in 4.1.0 Beta.
> version, not to the language pack).
I d0 not understand why... The English language pack includes the English dictionary... How is this different?
> dictionary... How is this different?
Apologies. The English language pack does NOT install dictionaries either.
I believe this is a big missing feature. A language pack pack should include dictionaries/spelling tools in the same way that the complete installer includes the dictionaries/spelling tools for the language it is named after.
The Portuguese version does not come with a bundled dictionary. This is now fixed in trunk.
Nominating a 4.1.0 stopper like the other dictionary updates. Feel free to integrate into AOO410 and close.


Kurt Vile's fifth album is the ultimate American road-trip soundtrack: It's as sprawling as the interminable highway, as smooth and hypnotic as cruise control. But the singer-songwriter's path is constantly curving in unexpected directions, so you won't even realize how easy -- and how fun -- it is to get lost. The guitars, which seemingly multiply with each pluck, nimbly waltz around his sleepy drawl as he reflects on life as a maturing family man: "I will promise to do my very best for you/ And that won't be too hard," he proclaims, and he ain't lying. This is an effortless stunner.


Having a dog that "only works for food" or "only listens if he knows I have a cookie" is one of the most common complaints I hear. So today I want to teach you how to eliminate the food lure and teach your dog to listen whether he sees a treat or not. I'm also sharing with you two of the biggest mistakes people make when using treats. These mistakes actually cause the "he'll only work for food" problem, so be sure to watch right to the end.


text:
Voeckler wins 5th Tour de France stage; Armstrong remains 2nd overall
PERPIGNAN, France and#8212; Thomas Voeckler of France has claimed a solo victory in the fifth stage of the Tour de France, a 122-mile ride from Le Cap d'Agde to Perpignan.
Following a long breakaway, Voeckler made his move 5 kilometers from the finish to escape from a small group of riders.
Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland retained the yellow leader's jersey Wednesday. Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong is second overall, by a fraction of a second, while teammate Alberto Contador of Spain is third, 19 seconds back.
The Tour ends July 26 in Paris.
1. Thomas Voeckler, France, BBOX Bouygues Telecom, 4 hours, 29 minutes, 35 seconds.
2. Mikhail Ignatiev, Russia, Team Katusha, 7 seconds behind.
3. Mark Cavendish, Britain, Team Columbia-High Road, same time.
4. Tyler Farrer, United States, Garmin-Slipstream, same time.
5. Gerald Ciolek, Germany, Team Milram, same time.
6. Danilo Napolitano, Italy, Team Katusha, same time.
7. Jose Joaquin Rojas, Spain, Caisse d'Epargne, same time.
8. Lloyd Mondory, France, AG2R-La Mondiale, same time.
9. Oscar Freire, Spain, Rabobank, same time.
10. Thor Hushovd, Norway, Cervelo Test Team, same time.
11. Angelo Furlan, Italy, Lampre-NGC, same time.
12. Leonardo Duque, Colombia, Cofidis, same time.
13. Romain Feillu, France, Agritubel, same time.
14. Kenny Robert van Hummel, Netherlands, Skil-Shimano, same time.
15. Albert Timmer, Netherlands, Skil-Shimano, same time.
16. Koldo Fernandez, Spain, Euskaltel-Euskadi, same time.
17. Andreas Kloeden, Germany, Astana, same time.
18. Yukiya Arashiro, Japan, BBOX Bouygues Telecom, same time.
19. Roman Kreuziger, Czech Republic, Liquigas, same time.
20. Mark Renshaw, Australia, Team Columbia-High Road, same time.
24. Fabian Cancellara, Switzerland, Team Saxo Bank, same time.
34. Christian Vande Velde, United States, Garmin-Slipstream, same time.
40. George Hincapie, United States, Team Columbia-High Road, same time.
41. Lance Armstrong, United States, Astana, same time.
59. Levi Leipheimer, Astana, same time.
126. David Zabriskie, United States, Garmin-Slipstream, same time.
176. Danny Pate, United States, Garmin-Slipstream, 1:55.
(After five stages)
1. Fabian Cancellara, Switzerland, Team Saxo Bank, 15:07:49.
2. Lance Armstrong, United States, Astana, same time.
3. Alberto Contador, Spain, Astana, :19.
4. Andreas Kloeden, Germany, Astana, :23.
5. Levi Leipheimer, United States, Astana, :31.
6. Bradley Wiggins, Britain, Garmin-Slipstream, :38.
7. Haimar Zubeldia, Spain, Astana, :51.
8. Tony Martin, Germany, Team Columbia-High Road, :52.
9. David Zabriskie, United States, Garmin-Slipstream, 1:06.
10. David Millar, Britain, Garmin-Slipstream, 1:07.
11. Sergio Paulinho, Portugal, Astana, 1:16.
13. Gustav Larsson, Sweden, Team Saxo Bank, 1:22.
14. Maxime Montfort, Belgium, Team Columbia-High Road, 1:29.
15. Roman Kreuziger, Czech Republic, Liquigas, 1:31.
16. Michael Rogers, Australia, Team Columbia-High Road, 1:32.
17. George Hincapie, United States, Team Columbia-High Road, 1:36.
18. Yaroslav Popovych, Ukraine, same time.
19. Vincenzo Nibali, Italy, Liquigas, same time.
20. Andy Schleck, Luxembourg, Team Saxo Bank, 1:41.
120. Tyler Farrar, United States, Garmin-Slipstream, 5:57.
169. Danny Pate, United States, Garmin-Slipstream, 11:07.


text:
REVIEW: The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine
JanineB Reviews / B+ Reviews / Recommended Reads1920s / dancing / fairytale / Historical / New York City / sisters / YA13 Comments
Dear Ms. Valentine,
I first came across your YA historical novel, The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, when The Book Smugglers reviewed it. Hapax also raved about it in our Open Thread for Readers for September.
Everything I heard about this novel, especially that it was a Jazz Age set retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses, convinced me I would like it, but I held off on purchasing the book for a long while because of the price. Finally, with the end of 2014 approaching and my best books of the year list deadline looming, I bit the ten dollar bullet.
The novel begins by telling us that "By 1927 there were twelve girls who danced all night and never gave names, but by then the men had given up asking and called them all Princess."
The novel, written in a gorgeous present tense omniscient voice, shifts quickly into the men's viewpoint for the first chapter:
Wild things, these girls; wild for dancing. They could go all night without sitting, grabbing at champagne between songs, running to the throng at the table and saying something that made them all laugh, light and low together like the parts of a chorus.
It wasn't right, all those women sticking together so close. Something about the wall of bob-haired girls scared the men, though they hardly knew it. They just knew they'd better dance their best with a Princess, and no mistake.
But the book doesn't stay in this POV for long, and in chapter two we are introduced to Jo, the eldest of the girls, who has just been summoned to her father's office, and we learn that the girls are sisters.
From there on we are only in the twelve girls' viewpoints, and unlike the original fairy tale on which the novel is based, this version of the story places our sympathies with these girls who might, to an outside observer unfamiliar with their story, like those men in the first chapter, seem cold or frightening or even heartless.
Jo, the coldest of them all, is her younger sisters' protector, and the person she is protecting them from is their father.
The girls' father (whom we know only as Mr. Hamilton or as Jo calls him, "Sir,") married their mother so that his son would be able to fulfill his ambitions by marrying into a higher social register. But the girls' mother never gave birth to a son—instead came one daughter after another, until the day Mr. Hamilton's wife died giving birth to the youngest.
The girls, Jo, Lou, Ella, Doris, Hattie, Mattie, Rebecca, Araminta, Sophie, Lily, Rose, and Violet, barely knew their mother and none really know their father, who sends for Jo when he has something to communicate to them. Worst of all, they don't know the outside world, except for the nightclubs they sneak out to dance in. Their father is so ashamed of having fathered twelve daughters in his futile quest for a son that he will not allow them to leave the house.
Jo, who was once taken to the opera house by a nanny for her tenth birthday, taught Lou, Ella and Doris how to dance the waltz and the reel. A nanny gave them the steps to the polka. Jo asked her father for dance lessons; he refused. At ages fourteen and thirteen, Jo and Lou snuck out to the movies and came back with the foxtrot, and later with ragtime, the grizzly bear and the new waltz.
Dancing is the sisters' act of defiance, and of unity in the face of their father's oppression. But in order to protect her sisters from their father, Jo has to enforce his rules as much as she can. By the time Violet, the youngest, is old enough to sneak out of the house with the rest, Jo is in her mid to late twenties. She could escape, live her own life, but if she did, what would happen to her youngest sisters?
Now their father has summoned Jo to his office — to tell her that he has decided it is time for his daughters to marry. He has no intention of introducing the girls to society, or even of letting them get to know the men he will select for them to marry. He wants the weddings to happen quietly and quickly, without his peers ever learning that he has twelve daughters.
The girls, in a panic, turn to Jo, and she in turn promises she'll think of something, but she is fresh out of ideas.
Long ago, Jo had feelings for a bootlegger she met at the Kingfisher Club, such strong feelings that she almost abandoned her sisters to go with him. But he disappeared, and Jo hasn't let herself dance since the night she almost left town with Tom, for fear she'll be tempted with disloyalty again.
Jo's sisters can't appreciate the sacrifice she made for them. To them, she is the enforcer of their father's rules, and her own. She's the one who makes sure they sneak out of the house without being heard or seen, and that they all make it back to their beds before dawn. They don't entirely realize Jo is the buffer between them and a heartless man, that Jo has to appear almost as heartless to protect them from him.
Only Lou, the closest in age to Jo and her roommate, senses some of the cost her sister has paid. Only Lou remembers that it was Jo who suggested that they sneak out to go dancing, to give Lou breathing space in the midst of rage. Lou and Jo resent and love one another as only sisters can.
When their father hears rumors of twelve wild girls who dance all night, things go from bad to worse. When Tom, the bootlegger Jo once liked turns up, and her sisters champ at the bit to escape their father, what will Jo do?
The Girls at the Kingfisher Club is beautifully written, with vivid characterization and setting detail, down to the chapter titles taken from 1920s songs. The language is gorgeous, uncluttered yet poetic. I bookmarked several passages including this one:
Lou will dance anything, with anyone; she needs only a partner to be happy. She'd wear out a pair of shoes a night, if Jo would let them stay long enough.
Lou drinks like a fish and never gets drunk, as if her body burns just to keep her going.
Lou kisses her first boy when she's eighteen. He says he's an actor, which Lou can tell is a lie (so much for acting), but she likes the look of him, and he isn't the only one who forgets the truth in a dance hall.
I consider this novel a feminist take on The Twelve Dancing Princesses because as in the Brothers Grimm version, the girls' cynicism and heartlessness where their would-be suitors are concerned comes through, but here, unlike in the Grimm story, their father's behavior and the situation of the POV with the sisters makes it so easy to empathize with that hardheartedness.
If The Twelve Dancing Princesses sides with the old soldier who discovers the sister princesses' secret, The Girls at the Kingfisher Club sides with the girls. The book had this reader hoping against hope that their secret would not be uncovered.
I loved the way the book portrayed the bond of sisterhood, its fierce love and its fierce tensions, although there were times when I felt it was odd that Jo would be so removed from her ten youngest sisters. The book has no fantasy elements, but it does feel as if the characters inhabit a kind of heightened reality. If I were to take the story entirely literally, I might also wonder how a man could hide twelve daughters from his peers. Didn't his servants gossip? But these things were part of the story's premise, so I accepted them from the beginning. Everything else that happened followed from there.
I admit I initially felt disappointed that Jo's actions couldn't protect her sisters more, that she wasn't ultimately a hero who saved all of them. But on reflection, I decided I like that the story is more complex than that, and that the rest of the Hamilton sisters have their own agency within it, which they might not have had they simply been there for Jo to rescue.
While I wanted some of the sisters' characters to be fleshed out more, twelve women plus a handful of men are a lot of characters for a book that comes in at under three hundred pages.
There were points when I also wished the book would take on more of the issues of the time more directly—the economic disparity between rich and poor in the 1920s, the laws against people of different races marrying and the strictures against their dating or even dancing together. The book touches on these topics lightly because of the focus on the sisters, but these issues are present just enough that I didn't feel the novel was dismissing them.
The romantic relationships, although secondary to the sisters' relationships with each other, held my attention as much as the rest of the story if not more. The novel also contains one sex scene. It's not explicit but it's there. No doubt some readers will want to know if the story ends happily or not.
As far as the sisters, yes, absolutely. The romantic relationships are left somewhat up in the air and open to interpretation, which I don't usually mind at all in a YA. Here I minded a little, but at the same time it felt like the right ending for this book.
The Girls at the Kingfisher Club is suitable for older teens and will appeal to adults as well. If you like fairy tale retellings, don't miss it. B/B+
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Janine Ballard loves well-paced, character driven novels in romance, fantasy, YA, and the occasional outlier genre. Examples include novels by Katherine Addison, Ilona Andrews, Kristin Cashore, Cecilia Grant, Piper Huguley, Carolyn Jewel, Jeannie Lin, Miranda Neville, M. O'Keefe and Nalini Singh. Janine also writes fiction. Her critique partners are Sherry Thomas, Meredith Duran and Bettie Sharpe. Her erotic short story, "Kiss of Life," appears in the Berkley anthology AGONY/ECSTASY under the pen name Lily Daniels. You can email Janine at janineballard at gmail dot com or find her on Twitter @janine_ballard.
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Great review Janine, Hapax recommended this book in Open readers thread couple months ago (?), I thought I thanked her, but if not, thanks so much :). I really liked it too.
I am so glad I bought this recently and have it in my TBR pile, Janine, since our tastes often match up. Can't wait to find the time to read it.
@Sirius: Yay! So glad you liked it too. I have the feeling this book will stick with me– it's very memorable.
@Tanya: I'd love to hear what you think of it when you finish. I could be wrong, but it seems like something that would appeal to you.
Yeah, I read this months ago, and every time I'm reminded of it, I make the Good Book Noise (thanks, SBSarah!) all over.
I agree that that a lot was left open ended and ambiguous, but that was part of the charm, for me. Fairy tales (for me) are archetypal templates that we can write our own stories upon; this book was more of a gorgeous dream, of which we can only snatch wisps as fades away in the morning, trying to weave back into a coherent whole.
Also, I'm a total pushover for ferocious older sisters*. That's why I prefer the version of this fairytale that features the eldest sister and the old soldier to the one with the youngest sister and the pretty gardener (I wonder if the youngest sisters' names were a nod to that?).
*I'm the baby of the family myself, and I wonder if this sentiment is an unconscious apology to my eldest sister, who had to take so many extra burdens?
@hapax: Oh yes, I agree that the ambiguity was fitting. It made me a bit wistful though, you know? Esp. the Jake part of things, knowing what the laws were in the 1920s. But you're right that it had a dreamlike quality– I almost said that in my comment to Sirius! Even though it wasn't a fantasy, it didn't feel entirely of the real world. It has the vividness of a dream, and the girls' fear that discovery of their secret may come in any guise fits with that too, since dreams are often infused with amorphous fears. And as with a dream, I try to continue the story in my own mind, and wonder how it all works out in the end, though if the book told us that, it would lose a lot of its power.
I'm an older sister myself, and I still feel protective of my younger sister, so I really identified with Jo. I think for that reason I wanted a little more acknowledgement from the others of what she'd sacrificed for them than we got (there was some of that, but I wanted more). But again, this book was no wish fulfillment fantasy. It was something else altogether. So it really was written as it should have been, even if it left me with a longing for more. You see my response to its ambiguities is an odd kind of ambivalence. I wouldn't really want it to be what part of me wants it to be. It would feel more shallow if it satisfied my every desire.
Count me in as one who took a look at that price and balked. I might have to rethink that.
Wow, this book looks so interesting. Thanks for the review, Janine!
@Jayne: Unfortunately a lot of YA novels are priced this way, and I have to think carefully about whether to purchase them. This one was worth the cost to me, but sometimes I check them out of the library instead of buying.
@Jennie: I suspect it would be right up your alley.
Jae Lee
I stayed up late last night to finish this and I am so glad I did. Thanks so much for this recommendation, I don't know that I would have made an effort to read this otherwise.
I really loved the ending, btw, it was sort of bittersweet and optimistic at the same time. I did want the other girls to have more sympathy for Jo, but I also understood her distance from them.
@Jae Lee: So glad you enjoyed this one. Thank you for letting me know.
"Bittersweet and optimistic" is a great way to describe the way it ends. It was fitting, perfect for the story, and my quibbles are more to do with how much I loved the characters and wanted to be assured of their happiness than they are a real disagreement with the ending.
Re. Jo and her sisters–I understood how the emotional distance that developed through her being "the General" on the one hand, but on the other hand I felt twelve girls born only a year or two apart and confined to the same house for their entire lives would have no choice but to know each other, even before they started sneaking out. So it wasn't so much their feelings about her that bothered me, as the fact that she knew so little of them and vice versa.
I thought Jo did know her sisters fairly well, I guess. I didn't think the younger sisters knew Jo at all, but that made a lot of sense to me. I agree with you about the ending, I wanted to spend more time with them and I wanted a sparkles-and-sunshine happy ending. I'm just glad I didn't get one.
@Jae Lee: It was stated at one point in the book that Jo didn't know most of her sisters well and that Lou acted as a go-between. That worked for the story but I can't see that situation developing in real life with twelve girls all stuck at the same house.
I wanted to spend more time with them and I wanted a sparkles-and-sunshine happy ending. I'm just glad I didn't get one.
That sums it up perfectly.


Sensors Expo 2015: EMAC engineers give embedded take on "IoT"
Home » Embedded Computing Design » Sensors Expo 2015: EMAC engineers give embedded take on "IoT"
Marketing teams have been on the Internet of Things (IoT) train for a while now, but embedded engineers are a different breed. No matter where I am or who I ask in the developer community there is still a rainbow spectrum of opinions on what exactly the IoT is, and here EMAC, Inc.'s Jeff Young offers his interpretation in his own words.
As an example, Young cites the agriculture domain, which has recently been popularized in the IoT discussion and has been an area of expertise for embedded board providers like EMAC. No matter what you call it, according to Young, farmers need hard data and by capitalizing on aggregate "IoT" sensor networks they can avoid the intensive process of gathering water, temperature, and humidity data across acreage.
EMAC provides an array of low-power, ARM-based wireless sensor processing platforms for such use cases.


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MT660 Heritage Scrambler" – 2008 Yamaha MT-03 Custom
In Custom, Dual-Sport, Japan by Tim Huber September 25, 2018 Leave a Comment
Back in 1976, Yamaha released the XT500, the company's second attempt at a four-stroker. It was the first in a long line machines that can trace their roots back to the Dakar-winning half-liter XT. One of said machines was the MT-03, and though it's now based on the R3, early versions of the bike (2006-2014) were powered by the same 660cc single found in the Tenere and XT660Z. "You could view the MT-03 as the odd stepbrother of the family," says Roy Holtman of ARE AGE (or "RH") Motorcycles. (For anyone interested in learning a little more about the history of the XT500, I highly recommend checking out Cas Vanderwoude's extensive writeup on the model.)
This connection is what sparked Roy's idea for an MT-03-based XT tribute. Starting with a 2008 model of the naked 660 thumper, the Dutch shop got to work stripping the Yamaha down to the frame. The subframe was hacked off prior to being replaced with a custom, upswept, hooped unit, and the stock suspension was binned to make room for Wilbers units fore and aft.
The MT's engine now inhales via a DNA intake, and spits burnt fumes from a custom two-into-two RVS exhaust capped off with Supertrapp cans — both of which have been paired with a DynoJet Power Commander. The Yamaha also received new Bosch injectors and a Dynamo throttle assembly. In an effort to shield the thumper from physical trauma a custom bashplate has been fabbed up and tacked into place as well.
The MT-03's cockpit has been thoroughly revamped, receiving Nekken clamps and handlebars, new grips, folding CNC-machined levers, and an Acewell digital speedo sitting just above the build's old school number-plate. On the other side of said number plate is a guarded headlight borrowed off an unspecified 1980's enduro bike, and a pair of RVS fenders were added front and back. Though the "MT660 Heritage Scrambler" retains the MT's stock fuel-cell, Roy has opted to paint the thing in a livery based on the '76 XT500. The stock footpegs were jettisoned for a pair of shark-teeth enduro pegs, and the braking equipment has been updated via some Brembo hardware.
The MT's bespoke subframe has been capped off with an awesome, one-off suede saddle courtesy of Miller Kustom Upholstery. The seat's stitching pattern is reportedly based on the knobby rubber (Continental TKC 80) adorning the wheels too. Just behind the custom seat is a nifty little "utility saddlebag" — a nod to the factory tool-kits found on off-road bikes of the '80s and '90s — which can either house a tool rollup, or can be fitted with a small piece of custom-shaped foam, allowing it to act as a passenger pillion. A set of passenger footpegs are also included with the build too. The build's rear end also boasts a one-off luggage rack, dual side/number plates, and a single, round, vintage taillight.
Though RH's "MT660" was completed roughly a year ago, it wasn't until more recently that it finished making its rounds at various custom bike shows. Even more recently the Heritage Scrambler was featured on BikeExif's Bikes of the Week (124), as well as getting a full writeup on BikeBound. While this example's price is admittedly a bit steep, it's a professional-grade build that's been beautifully designed and expertly executed.
You can find this 2008 Yamaha MT-03-based XT500 tribute entitled the "MT660 Heritage Scrambler" for sale here on TheBikeShed in Arnhem, Netherlands with a price of $13,500 (or €11,500).


Follow-up interviews are always fun. Listen to my follow-up interview with Dahlia Schweitzer, author of Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World (Rutgers University Press, 2018). I talk with her and Rob Thomas, the creator of Veronica Mars and the co-creator of iZombie and Party Down as well as the author of several young adult novels including Rats Saw God and Slave Day. In this interview we talk about how Schweitzer's book discusses some of the ways in which Thomas' series iZombie is ahead of its time, while Thomas shares some of the stories behind co-creating and writing iZombie. In addition, we discuss Thomas' work on Veronica Mars, how the series came to be, as well as the ways in which it relates to Schweitzer's new book. It's a great interview for zombie lovers and marshmallows alike.
Rebekah Buchanan is an Associate Professor of English at Western Illinois University. She researches zines, zine writers and the influence of music subcultures and fandom on writers and narratives. She is the author of Writing a Riot: Riot Grrrl Zines and Feminist Rhetorics (Peter Lang, 2018). You can find more about her on her website, follow her on Twitter @rj_buchanan or email her at rj-buchanan@wiu.edu.


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Q: How to return value to index page from an included script page? index.php
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A: In you index.php page after inclusion you can use $z variable as like
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$me_arr  = array(array('method'=>'x', 'param1'=> 5, 'param2'=> 3),array('method'=>'y', 'param1'=> 2, 'param2'=> 2));
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echo $z; // Using variable from include page
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
These lions, illegally bred in Limpopo, were confiscated by the authorities who believe they were destined to feed the canned hunting market. Picture: Sanwild
Outrage over lions bred to be killed by deep-pocketed trophy hunters
By Sheree Bega Nov 17, 2018
Johannesburg - Born in captivity, the lion cubs are removed from their mothers within hours of their birth to be used at petting facilities.
There, unwitting foreign volunteers - often lured by lion farms advertising themselves as wildlife sanctuaries - pay hefty amounts to look at them or touch them under the pretence they're helping to save the dwindling species.
"They do not know they are supporting a horrific industry, an industry that even many hunting associations reject as being unethical."
When the lions are four to seven years old, they are sold for trophy hunting. "The laws require that the hunting is not conducted on the same farm that the animal was bred at. Instead, the lions are transported to other areas and shot there, some within days of being relocated."
This practice guarantees a kill. "The habituated lion has nowhere to go inside the can or enclosure where it is shot. Occasionally they are attracted with bait, sometimes sedated. This most extreme type of trophy hunting serves the captive bred lions to their hunters on a silver platter."
Passion for the wild inspires SA activist
Lion bone trade debate hits the spotlight
Parliament weighs in on captive lion breeding after outcry by conservationists
Poll shows South Africans believe lion breeding industry harms SA's reputation
NSPCA moves to end permits for lion skeleton exports
Do test tube lions help conserve wild lions?
Wildlife organisations support parliamentary ban on captive lion breeding
NSPCA lauds captive breeding, lion bone trade laws
This scenario, exposed in the documentary film Blood Lions, is sketched in the introductory pages of a new parliamentary report on captive lion breeding for hunting and the lion bone trade, which calls for a policy and legislative overhaul "with a view of putting an end to this practice".
The 24-page report, which was adopted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs during a special meeting this week, followed a two-day committee colloquium in August on the captive breeding of lions and the lion bone trade.
The report summarises the views of an array of local pro-hunting outfits, conservation organisations and international organisations at the parliamentary colloquium.
"Captive breeding of lions for hunting has long been a blemish on South Africa's wildlife and tourism landscape," notes the committee in its report. "This tragic story needs to be arrested forthwith to avoid inflicting further and irreparable damage to South Africa's conservation image and the responsible hunting industry that the country has succeeded to build over the years."
The report finds that captive lion breeding holds no conservation value. "The revenues, which this industry generates, while highly lucrative for the owners, constitutes only a tiny proportion of South Africa's tourist revenue that the captive lion breeding industry threatens to undermine.
"There are public sentiments that that captive bred lion industry is unethical and the lion bone trade is damaging to SA's conservation record, damaging the socio-economic welfare of South Africans, damaging to South African tourism and hence must be stopped immediately by enacting relevant legislation. "
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) should urgently initiate a legislative and policy review of the captive lion breeding industry and should conduct an audit of captive lion and cheetah breeding facilities to assess legislative compliance.
The DEA and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) should present a clear programme and time-frames to deal with welfare and health issues relating to captive-bred lions, says the report.
But the DEA, says one welfare expert, is "caught between the devil and the deep blue sea".
"On the one side, there is public opinion and an international outcry over the captive breeding of lions and on the other, the department has allowed this industry to grow. They are being hammered from both sides."
Aadila Agjee, an attorney at the Centre for Environmental Rights, says the report is welcomed. "We hope this is the beginning of a just and equitable system for the management of captive lions and other wild animals bred for commercial use in South Africa, and we look forward to participating in the policy and legislative review of the industry."
Karen Trendler, the manager of the NSPCA's wildlife trade and trafficking unit, says a legislative and policy review is long overdue for a "brutal" industry with no conservation value.
"We've achieved, partly through the colloquium and partly through our collective efforts, as well as the fantastic committee chairman (Phillemon Mapulane), more than any of us would have anticipated or expected. It will be interesting to see what happens now going forward." In September, the NSPCA lodged an urgent interdict against the DEA to suspend its authorisation of lion bone exports.
"The trade in lion bone could increase global demand putting not only wild African lion populations, but also tiger and other big cat populations, at risk," says Trendler.
There are around 8000 to 10000 lions in captivity but the real figure could be far higher. "It's a very closed industry and that's one of the challenges in regulating it and monitoring it. These animals are being bred to be killed for hunting and the lion bone trade. But if the breeders can no longer breed lions, that would help reduce the numbers."
Yolan Friedman, the chief executive of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, remarks that the report acknowledges "the widely held stance by most South Africans, and all lion biologists and experts, that this industry is nothing but a blight on the conservation pedigree that South Africa should otherwise be able to claim".
Chris Mercer, of the Campaign Against Canned Hunting, is sceptical.
"The DEA and other conservation structures in SA are so thoroughly captured by the hunting industry that I doubt if anything short of divine intervention would cause them to even look sideways at the hunting fraternity.
"I seriously doubt that such a captured conservation regulator will have any respect for the parliamentary report, and will continue to blindly support - and promote - canned lion hunting regardless of what the 12000 International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) scientists and the SA Parliament are urging. We need a compassionate revolution in conservation," says Mercer.
Deon Swart, the chief executive of the SA Predators Association, says it is "extremely unhappy" with the parliamentary report and could go to court to overturn a potential ban on the breeding of lions in captivity.
"The report is not a true reflection of what happened in the colloquium. There is a lot of personal interpretation. If this is the way we're going in future with our conservation policy, being overwhelmed by minority groups, or people opposed to sustainable use... A lot of inputs were not reflected in this report.
"We firmly believe that our courts, as usual, will listen to us and rule in our favour. We've done it several times and will do it again if we need to. We don't want to deal with government in court cases.
"We want to be friends with the government, to sit down around a table, have tea and discuss policy."
The committee found that the Minister of Environmental Affairs must submit quarterly reports on the progress of the policy and legislative review.
This week, acting Environmental Affairs Minister Derek Hanekom stated that he intends appointing a high level panel to review policies and legislation on a number of matters related to animal breeding, hunting and handling.
Mapulane, the chairperson of the parliamentary committee, says captive lion breeding, both for hunting and the lion bone trade, has "caused much local and international uproar leading to the expulsion of certain members of the industry by international pro-hunting organisations.
"The IUCN had also raised concerns about captive lion breeding for hunting, calling on the government to terminate this practice."
The Saturday Star


The NCFPSC continually posts updates to all of our social media accounts, providing news of our mission to aid public school children and stories of our progress. We have a Facebook account at https://www.facebook.com/NCFPSC.org/, a Twitter account at https://twitter.com/ncfpsc, and an Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/ncfpsc/. Additionally, you can follow the North Carolina Teacher Cadet Program on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nc_teachercadet?lang=en and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nc_teachercadet/. Thank you!


This entry was posted in Book Review, Paris Books, Paris History Site, Versailles and tagged King Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour, Rivals of Versailles, Sallyt Christie, Versailles by americangirlsartclubinparis. Bookmark the permalink.
The tour of Versailles and the books both sound intriguing!


Hosted by our wonderful friend and colleague in Taijiquan, Elizabeth Seatia, we were warmly welcomed at Basel Airport (after getting lost in the Swiss side), and whisked away to Mullhouse, Alsace. This is a wonderful cosmopolitan township that sits in the corner of France, Switzerland and Germany where people are friendly and food is good!
The weekend was syncopated with lunches and dinners here and there and by that, I mean here and there. Chinese food in a restaurant in Mullhouse, Buffets in the Studio and Greek food in a restaurant in Germany served by Italian waiters!
Once again it was a great time and sorry if your students legs are a bit sore after long hours and low stances!


text:
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The EU sanctions on Russia over Ukraine have completely failed to punish the country, Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt has said
Despite the bloc's attempts to punish Russia, imports from the country have soared, Guy Verhofstadt says
The EU's sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict have been a complete failure, Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt said on Monday. He added that the EU was only "rewarding" Russia by increasing imports from the country.
Writing on Twitter, Verhofstadt, who served as Belgian prime minister from 1999 to 2008 and has been an MEP since 2009, claimed that the effect of the EU's nine sanctions packages on Moscow "is less than 0."
The former PM said that the bloc's attempts to punish Russia have achieved the opposite result. "We are rewarding Russia for its war against us!"
Verhofstadt also posted a chart titled 'Still Filling Putin's Coffers', showing Russia-EU trade from February to August 2022. The graphic, which cites Eurostat data, shows that most EU member states, including Germany, France, Italy, and Poland, significantly increased imports from Russia. In total, only seven EU members have bought less from the country.
Following the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the EU imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow, targeting entire sectors of the economy. In December, the bloc, along with the G7 countries and Australia, introduced a price cap on Russian seaborne oil, set at $60 per barrel. In response, last week, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree banning the supply of oil and petroleum products from Russia to countries which apply these restrictions.
The sanctions on Russia have exacerbated the bloc's energy crisis, causing fuel prices and the cost of living to soar. This has prompted protests against the sanctions policy in several EU countries. In December, a demonstration organized by the right-wing Patriots party took place in Paris against the government's stance on Russia and France's membership in NATO.
In his New Year's address, Putin claimed that the West's "full-blown sanctions war" against Moscow has largely failed to undermine the Russian economy.