After a few tumultuous years, Gwen Stefani is back with her first solo album in a decade, This Is What The Truth Feels Like. It follows her hugely successful 2004 debut, Love. Angel. Music. Baby., and its 2006 followup, The Sweet Escape. Those two dance-pop records were a big change for the No Doubt frontwoman, and after they were over, she vowed to never release another solo record.
That is, until 2014. Gwen had just given birth to her third son with husband Gavin Rossdale, and suddenly found herself coaching on the hit TV show, The Voice, alongside frequent collaborator Pharrell. This sparked the idea of finally doing a third solo album; the only problem was that Gwen wasn't especially inspired. She ended up doing something she'd never done: She mainly recorded songs that other writers penned instead of songs she helped write. We got two singles – "Baby Don't Lie" and "Spark The Fire" – as well as the unreleased ballad "Start A War." But for Gwen it didn't feel right – she felt like she was faking it, and put the album on hold.
Early in 2015 her personal life blew up in her face. Gwen's husband of 13 years allegedly had an affair, and the couple split. It wasn't until the summer that word got out that they were divorcing. But from the tragedy came great inspiration: Gwen was back in the studio writing like she'd never written. Her new songs ranged from really sad to sarcastic and angry, and her lead single, "Used To Love You," was a perfect, tragic snapshot of what she was going through. By the end of the year, Gwen changed her tunes when she found new love with The Voice country star Blake Shelton.
And now here we are, looking at the results Gwen's roller coaster life have had on her most personal album yet. This Is What The Truth Feels Like is surprisingly cheery: Those of us who expected a depressing breakup album may be shocked that the bulk of the album actually focuses on Gwen's new relationship instead. The first half of the album finds Gwen confessing tentative crushes and feelings of innocent love. Its the kind of love, as she says in "Rare," that she never would have expected find after so much heartache. In "Make Me Like You," Gwen laments that she's "so scared" to be in a new relationship already. But in spite of her doubts, Gwen's joyous feelings of love dominate This Is What The Truth Feels Like.
It's not all rainbows and butterflies, though. The trauma of Gwen's failed marriage is still a vital influence on the album, and takes center stage in tracks like "Used To Love You," "Red Flag," and "Naughty." The latter two in particular are aggressively angry and sarcastic, the kind of Gwen we rarely hear. They're punchy and intimidating highlights of perhaps her lowest stage of life. Confessional songs like "Me Without You" and "Truth" shine on an album that sometimes feels overproduced.
While happy Gwen is a true treat – especially on "Where Would I Be?" and "Make Me Like You" – her darker tracks hold something special and captivating. All in all, This Is What The Truth Feels Like offers a great balance of love and loss, of tragedy and pain followed by the rainbow that comes after a storm. It may be hard to beat a masterpiece like L.A.M.B., but This Is What The Truth Feels Like comes awfully close, winning for her most personal solo album yet.
"Misery" – This Is What The Truth Feels Like starts with a minimalistic midtempo '80s bassline with handclaps. Gwen comes in softly, building up in her melodic "you're like drugs to me" refrain. The chorus grows stronger, gaining extra percussion during the second verse. "Misery" is a slow-building, simple song that endears you to the feelings of "trying to be sensible" despite young love.
"You're My Favorite" – The second track begins with spacey blips and snaps. Like "Misery," "You're My Favorite" is fairly simple musically with a heavy trap beat, putting the focus on the lyrics Gwen sings. As a divorced mother of three, Gwen admits that she's "been there, done that," but out of all the things she's tried and explored, nothing compares to him.
"Where Would I Be?" – The album starts to pick up with newfound-love island bop, "Where Would I Be?" The chorus starts the song, instantly transporting the listener back in time. The track has a kind of a reggae sound, bouncing and almost syncopated; the sound is reminiscent of Lily Allen's 2006 hit, "Smile." "Where Would I Be?" has a fuller sound than the first two on the album, with a jolly mood and high vocals in the chorus. The bridge breaks it down into the hip-hop feel of Gwen's early songs like "Hollaback Girl" and "Orange County Girl." This is a clear highlight on the album.
"Make Me Like You" – The most high-energy song so far is the second single, "Make Me Like You." Gwen has admitted this is about her new boyfriend, Blake Shelton, whose name appears in neon lights in the music video. "Make Me Like You" is super happy and peppy, backed up by handclaps and synth swirls. It's a feel-good track that anyone who's just fallen in love can relate to – you're scared to jump into a new relationship, and yet you're so happy that you've found someone who makes your world so rosy.
"Used To Love You" – The songs transition well, and we end up with the album's first single. "Used To Love You" is the ultimate breakup song, tragic, raw, and honest. Gwen puts words to all the troubled emotions one goes through after a loved one cheats; she laments, "I thought you loved me the most," and describes the scene of him moving out. It's such a sad and heartbreaking song, but also an important one to put the whole album into perspective. "Used To Love You" remains a standout track.
"Send Me A Picture" – The mood lightens noticeably on track seven. "Send Me A Picture" brings the focus back to new love and enduring long-distance constraints. Although they can't physically be together, why not send a picture of yourself to your loved one? This song is firmly in the 21st century, as Gwen demands "no filter, take another snapshot in the mirror." "Send Me A Picture" teeters between being almost awkward and yet rather catchy.
"Red Flag" – The first song Gwen wrote for the album was "Red Flag," and the mood shows. It starts with tragic strings before the record cuts and aggressive, trap-influenced Gwen is back! "Red Flag" is sarcastic, dark, and in your face, clearly an angry tirade against her ex. Gwen spits, "I'm not a rookie, I'm so used to getting played," and "you know how to screw it up." She later shouts, "this is your punishment!" Its unexpected sounds makes "Red Flag" a standout, the raging tough Gwen anthem we've been waiting to hear.
"Asking For It" (feat. Fetty Wap) – In contrast, "Asking For It" was one of the last songs completed for the record. It starts with low pounding synthy strings and Gwen asking, "why would you want to be with someone like me?" With her "broken history," Gwen can't help but ask, "are you sure you want to love me?" It has the trap sound of the previous track, helped along by rapper Fetty Wap's part.
"Naughty" – Shrill piano opens the second track Gwen wrote, "Naughty." In an interesting twist, it combines the old-school reggae sound of "Where Would I Be?" with the aggressive urban influence of "Red Flag." Gwen sneers a sarcastic "helloooo" before directly accusing "you did it, you did it, and then you hid it, you hid it." It's another intense, assertive song that really captures the anger and pain of the breakup. The bridge is chilling, adding to the layers that make "Naughty" so dark and captivating.
"Me Without You" – We get another sad ballad, this time driven by gentle keys and pulsing drumbeats. Gwen tells her ex, "you've done nothing I can't repair" and "no, I don't need you, not a little bit" over rolling drums. It's a song that finds Gwen gaining strength after such a big loss, and she's finally trying to feel optimistic: "I can love whoever I want, say whatever I want, do whatever I want" and "things are about to get real good." How true that was.
"Rare" – The standard edition of the album closes with "Rare," led by soft guitar and dreamlike lyrics. Gwen tells her new love, "you're a sapphire" and "you're a sparkle in a deep black hole." It's amazing that Gwen found someone so precious after so much dishonestly and heartbreak. "Rare" is a magical, odd song – especially in the rolling chorus – but there's something mesmerizing about it, too. Gwen admits that, "I am broken, I am insecure, complicated" and "I feel worthless, I've been hurt so bad," but here is this rare jewel to help her get back on her feet again.
You can buy This Is What The Truth Feels Like on iTunes now, or get the deluxe edition with four bonus tracks from Target.


Are you looking to spruce up her highness's digs? The KidKraft Pink Princess Cheval Mirror is fit for her royalty. The shatterproof acrylic mirror is safety-conscious but the crown and pink design is a princess pleaser. Every princess needs an area to dress and check herself out…this mirror makes it easy to primp.


text:
Developing distress
| Indepth
The birth-pangs of development have been faced so far by the downtrodden, but things need to change soon
UPROOTED 4 times in 3 decades. Thirty thousand villagers of Madhya Pradesh were first displaced during the construction of the Rihand dam (late '50s); later, again, when coal was found in the mid-70s; a third time, to make room for industry; and finally, when the Singrauli mega thermal power station was mooted in the late '80s. And since the area has been recently earmarked for compensatory reforestation, they might be shown the door a fifth time.
But these villagers are no exception. "First they grabbed our little finger, then our hand and soon they swallowed us up," said Jasibehn Tadvi, a displaced woman from Bharuch district's Kevadia village. She was ousted during the first phase of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP). Jasibehn and many others displaced due to various developmental projects spoke their hearts out during a mid-January workshop organised by the Indian Social Institute in the Capital.
A large number of oustees, along with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), representatives of voluntary agencies, research institutions and mass organisations attended the National Workshop to discuss a series of draft rehabilitation policies prepared by the Union ministry of rural development (MRD) and the Central Water Commission, Coal India and the National Thermal Power Corporation. What emerged from the exercise is a graphic detailing of the price that the "have-nots" pay for development, which benefits the "haves".
There was much ire over the bureaucracy's typically secretive approach. The latest draft, marked "Secret", is signed by Shivraj Singh, joint secretary, land reforms, MRD. Says Singh, "I don't know how my name got in there." But he spoke of a fresh draft being prepared, with comments from all other ministries which are planning developmental programmes. But how are the people sought to be involved in the process? Singh said, "All that will be discussed."
There will be much struggle ahead. And the workshop -- the culmination of discussions at the taluka, district and state levels -- was a part of that struggle. As Jai Sen of the National Campaign for Housing Rights said, "We have to struggle to ensure that the people are part of the decision-making process, which enables them to decide whether the kind of development that displaces them should be allowed at all."
But it is also becoming increasingly clear that growing pressure, both from mass movements and the World Bank (WB), is forcing the government to lend its ears to public opinion. In 1992, the WB was forced to review such of its aided projects which had faced widespread discontent and agitations. Activists insist that the WB has been pressurising the government to come out with a rehabilitation policy.
The draft acknowledges the growing movement against displacement. It says, "The world financial institutions can go to the extent of withholding loan and aid so as to get fulfillment for their ecological concerns."
The beginning Development-related displacement in India can be traced back to the Raj days and the construction of the first state-owned Yamuna Canal system in 1789. The construction of the Upper Anicut dam on the Cauvery in 1863 raised the issue of involuntary displacement. Colonial administration came out with the Land Acquisition Act in 1894. Even after an amendment 90 years later, the Act remains a sore point with oustees.
The Tata Power Company's building of a dam at Mulshi Peta in 1920 near Pune displaced 11,000 people, and triggered off the first satyagraha against forcible displacement. Thirteen hundred Pune residents signed a protest letter, and on April 16, some 1,200 Mavla men, women and children forced the work to a halt.
The era of large dams began with the Mettur dam on the Cauvery in 1930. It was the country's first concrete dam. By 1950, about 100 major dams, with reservoirs having a culturable command area exceeding 10,000 ha had come up. The Bhakra-Nangal and Hirakud dams were touted as symbols of progress. By 1985, some 1,500 large and medium and thousands of minor dams had been commissioned. The public outlay on irrigation projects had reached Rs 20,000 crore.
But apart from dams, industrial and mining projects, national parks and sanctuaries and even tourist resorts have displaced people.
Rehabilitation of the oustees everywhere has been extremely poor. Merely 25 per cent of those displaced during the first 3 decades of planned development have been resettled. One example: of the 2,108 families displaced from Una and Bilaspur districts of Himachal Pradesh by the Bhakra-Nangal project, only 750 have been resettled.
Estimates of the total numbers displaced by dams since 195l vary: 210 lakh till 1985 according to activist-economist Vijay Paranjpye; and 164 lakh, according to Walter Fernandes, convenor of the workshop in the Capital. Fernandes claims that from 1951 to 1990, a total of 213 lakh people have been displaced by dams, mines, industries and wildlife sanctuaries put together.
Reliable data is mostly not available. While the government accepts a figure of 110,000 displaced by the Hirakud project, researchers claim a figure of 180,000.
Fernandes moans, "The nation ignores the 'internal refugees' of developmental projects, whose numbers far exceed the 150 lakh people displaced by the 1947 partition."
Tribals' trauma
Studies show that most of the oustees are tribals and other assetless rural poor who have traditionally depended on the common property resources (CPR), or survived by rendering services to the village.
Official figures, too, show that tribals, comprising less than 8 per cent of the country's population, exceed 40 per cent of those displaced till 1990.
But reliable estimates for dalits (Scheduled Castes) displaced by these schemes don't exist. Extrapolating data from some projects, Lakshman Mahapatra, former vice chancellor of the Utkal University in Orissa, estimates that dalits comprise 20 per cent of oustees.
The proportion of tribal oustees has shot up to 50 per cent in the last 2 decades. This stands true also for wildlife projects in south India. An official report (1990) of the Field Director, Karnataka, claims, "Shifting of tribals and other villagers from a Tiger Reserve has been an accepted principle for proper management by the Government of India and state governments."
Nonexistent planning has added to the miseries of the downtrodden. Multiple displacements, as shown in the case of the Rihand oustees, have been repeated many times over. Fisherfolk families displaced by the New Mangalore Port in the '60s, and resettled as agriculturists, are being displaced again for the Konkan Railway, after they have adapted themselves to their new lifestyle. Tribals displaced in the '70s by the Kabini dam are being dislocated again by a new bio-sphere reserve.
Tribals traditionally depend on common property for survival, unlike caste-based farmers who own land individually. But the government has differing attitudes towards these peoples. Only 18 per cent of the land claimed for the National Aluminium Corporation's Angul project in Dhenkanal (dominated by caste-based farmers) belonged to the government. But in the tribal-belt project in Damanjodi, Koraput district, 58 per cent of the land acquired was common property.
A warped national value system considers the tribal regions as "backward". Their land is assessed at a rate lower than in the "advanced" regions. The Damanjodi oustees received only Rs 6,670 per ha, compared to about Rs 62,000 per ha paid in Angul.
Tribals sometimes sell off land much before a project starts. Most often, non-tribals buy these lands with an eye on the prospects of wiggling out higher compensations as "oustees". This is precisely what had happened in the test-firing range of Baliapal, Orissa.
Nomads, who comprise 5 per cent of the total population, are totally ignored because they are landless. The Van Gujjars of the Rajaji National Park have been resisting their ouster and forced resettlement in a decrepit housing colony at Pathri, near Hardwar.
The onset of a development project does strange things to humans. A destructive streak overtakes the locals, who stop developing their own lands, cut down trees and steal the assets of other people. The communities which hitherto treated forests as a renewable community resource begin to ravage them. This triggers off environmental degradation, which invariably intensifies when resettlement is ignored. The tribals and dalits, the worst sufferers, resist marginalisation at times, but are soon neutralised.
Regime of insecurity
The formal sector's (banks and other institutions) reflexes, conditioned to operate in a milieu of security, do not allow it to give loans and grants to oustees, uncertain about recovering them. Moneylenders, middlemen and other outsiders exploit this regime of insecurity.
It is now widely accepted that the first norm of any displacement or rehabilitation policy should be the involvement and consent of the people. But this has not been done in any project so far. Upendra Baxi, eminent jurist and former vice-chancellor of Delhi University flays this: "The beneficiaries as well as victims of developmental projects must, on the logic of the plan, forfeit their sovereignty to the virtuous and benign bureaucracy, who alone know what is good for them in the short as well as the long run. Any questioning of the present development paradigm leads to being branded as 'anti-poor' or 'anti-development.'"
Development now appears as a new theology in which democratic articulation emerges as a sin against the people, says Baxi. "But which people? Those who benefit or those who pay the price?" he asks.
One key to the democratisation of development processes is information flow, which alone can expose the bureaucracy's double standards. "How long will the government go on saying one thing in international meetings and practising another thing within the country?" asks Sen.
Sen insists that the present practices of the government militate against the basic principles of the Constitution. Various sections of Article 19 and Article 14, guaranteeing right to life and dignity, freedom and right to settle anywhere in the country and right to equality lie violated.
Today, consensus has evolved regarding the government's duties before deciding to relocate communities to make room for developmental projects. Consent should be democratically obtained from the people likely to be affected, after explicitly clarifying to them their larger interests. The proposal should be publicly and nationally declared.
If those required to move decline to do so, there must be a public enquiry and adjudication through a sort of tribunal comprising independent citizens, but if its verdict is unacceptable to the State, the Supreme Court should be approached for a decision. If the tribunal or the Supreme Court directs the people to move, they shall be entitled to total rehabilitation and not just resettlement.
Where people enjoying customary rights over CPR are displaced, they should be automatically entitled to joint ownership of whatever industry or investment that causes their displacement and or of benefits accruing from it. But in no case should anyone be shifted more than once in at least 50 to 100 years. This calls for very comprehensive area planning. Projects are notoriously slow to complete, or even to take off. In case a project is not started or not fully underway within 2 years of displacement, the oustees must be given the option of regaining the ownership and full rights of use of the CPR.
This is crucial. It is a standing practice for the bureaucracy to issue notices for evacuation the moment a project is announced, though the actual shifting might not start for years. A Centre for Social Studies study shows that most of the oustees in the 19 Gujarat villages facing submersion due to the SSP had been issued notices as early as 1980. The actual shifting is yet to take place from many villages. The 557 households who had been shifted by 1988 should have been given a total of 1,118 ha of land, but only 526.5 ha had been actually handed over.
On the whole, the struggling peoples and organisations are perhaps seeing some rays of hope, with the recent pronouncements of the Supreme Court tending to castigate the government; the thrashing meted out last month on the Narmada project is a case to point.
The changing opinion climate in the West is forcing international financial institutions to become more responsible about funding projects in the peripheral nations. And mass protests on environmental issues are being echoed fast and loud by sympathisers in developed countries. Yet, the stubborn mindset of the bureaucracy and their callous indifference will need more than a few bashings to ensure that development projects are for the people, of the people, and have to be approved, first, by the people.
India Displacement Displacement Rehabilitation Rehabilitation NGO Tribals Analysis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Myanmar MCs and Burmese B-Boys: 'Break the Night' Concert Highlights Hip-Hop
Chinese Foreign Minister to Meet With Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Ahead of ICJ Genocide Case
Wife, Children of Leader of Myanmar's Arakan Army Detained in Thailand
The Day Myanmar Started Driving on the Right
China Drafts New Farm Rules to Control Rural Plastic Pollution
FACTBOX: The Genocide Case Against Myanmar at the UN's Highest Court
Shan State IDPs Ask Myanmar Govt to Stop Development Projects on Their Land
Myanmar Police Shoot at Innocent Driver in Bogus Drugs Bust
Myanmar MPs Approve Discussion to Regulate Chinese Banana Plantations
Cardinal Charles Bo Urges Int'l Community Not to Punish All Myanmar People Over Rohingya
Malaysia's Mahathir Prepares to Host His 2nd APEC Summit at 94
Extreme Heat Hitting Both Rich and Poor Harder, Global Climate Index Shows
Chinese State Newspaper Blasts US Uighur Bill, Calls for Reprisals
Chinese-Backed Banana Plantations in Myanmar's Kachin State Prompt Fear of Environmental Damage, Land Loss
Court to Investigate Disappearance of CCTV Evidence in Myanmar Toddler Rape Case
Thai Investors Look to Bring Mass Tourism to Myanmar's Myeik Archipelago
Grenade Attack Targets Home of Myanmar MP on Indian Border
Myanmar Parliament Will Vote on Charter Change Before Election, Speaker Vows
Hong Kong Police Retrieve Fresh Trove of Petrol Bombs From University
Death Toll in Philippine Typhoon Rises to 10 as Storm Moves Off
US Judge Disqualifies Huawei Lawyer From Fraud, Sanctions Case
From a War Zone to a Classroom: Teachers at Mon Schools Preserve Their Heritage
Myanmar Military Chief Eyes Tea, Coffee Production in Ethnic Militia Area
Myanmar Military Returns Base Near Thai Border to Mon National Liberation Army
Myanmar's Anti-Graft Body Sues Land Management Official for Corruption
Myanmar Called on to Protect 140-Year-Old Cultural Heritage Site From Tourist Damage
Suspected Grenade Blast Near Indonesia's Presidential Palace Hurts Two
Hong Kong Leader Says US Law Will Hurt Business Confidence, Vows Economic Relief
Three Dead, Seven Injured by Artillery Shells in Two Incidents in Myanmar's Mrauk-U
New Zealand Prime minister Jacinda Ardern addresses the media following the eruption of the White Island volcano in Whakatane, New Zealand, on Dec. 10, 2019. / Reuters
WHAKATANE, New Zealand—Eight people were missing and presumed dead on Tuesday after a volcanic eruption covered a small New Zealand island popular with tourists in hot ash and steam, killing five people and seriously injuring about 30 more.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said reconnaissance flights showed no signs of life on White Island, as eyewitnesses detailed the horrific burns suffered by some survivors.
"The scale of this tragedy is devastating," Ardern said.
Ardern said tourists from Australia, the US, Britain, China and Malaysia were among the dead, missing and injured, along with New Zealanders. She has said there would be a government inquiry into the incident.
"To those who have lost or are missing family and friends, we share in your unfathomable grief in this moment at time and in your sorrow," Ardern said at a news conference in Whakatane, a town on the mainland's east coast, about 50 km from White Island.
A crater rim camera owned and operated by New Zealand's geological hazards agency GeoNet showed one group of people walking away from the rim inside the crater just a minute before the explosion. Other images showed the explosion that shot an ash plume some 3,658 meters into the air.
"It's now clear that there were two groups on the island—those who were able to be evacuated and those who were close to the eruption," Ardern added.
Later, in parliament, she paid tribute to the pilots of four helicopters that landed on White Island in the immediate aftermath of the eruption to bring out survivors.
"In their immediate efforts to get people off the island, those pilots made an incredibly brave decision under extremely dangerous circumstances," Ardern said. "I suspect their own personal safety was the last thing on their minds."
Survivors burnt
Since then, rescuers have been unable to access the island, which is covered in grey ash. GNS Science, New Zealand's geoscience agency, warned there was a 50/50 chance of another eruption in the coming 24 hours, as the volcano vent continued to emit "steam and mud jetting".
A New Zealand man, Geoff Hopkins, whose tour group was just leaving the island at the time of the eruption, said he helped pull critically injured survivors into a boat.
Hopkins, 50, who was given the tour as a birthday gift, said many of the survivors had run into the sea to escape the eruption.
"They were just so massively burnt," he told the NZ Herald newspaper. "People were in shorts and T-shirts so there was a lot of exposed skin that was massively burnt."
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday three Australians were feared to be among the confirmed fatalities, with 13 among the injured.
"I fear there is worse news to come," Morrison said.
Malaysia's high commission in New Zealand said one Malaysian was among the dead.
Britain's high commissioner to New Zealand, Laura Clark, confirmed on Twitter that two British women were among the injured in hospital.
Russell Clark, an intensive care paramedic with a helicopter team, said the early scenes were overwhelming.
"Everything was just blanketed in ash," he told Reuters. "It was quite an overwhelming feeling."
'Disaster waiting to happen'
Whakaari, as it is known in the Maori language, is New Zealand's most active cone volcano, built up by continuous volcanic activity over the past 150,000 years, according to GeoNet.
About 70 percent of the island is under the sea, making the volcanic structure the largest in New Zealand.
Ray Cas, a professor emeritus at Monash University, said the island "has been a disaster waiting to happen for many years".
"Having visited it twice, I have always felt that it was too dangerous to allow the daily tour groups that visit the uninhabited island volcano by boat and helicopter," Cas said in comments published by the Australian Science Media Center.
GeoNet raised the alert level for the volcano in November because of an increase in volcanic activity. The volcano's last fatal eruption was in 1914, when it killed 12 sulfur miners. There was a short-lived eruption in April 2016.
Yet, daily tours bring more than 10,000 visitors to the privately owned island every year.
Royal Caribbean confirmed late on Monday that several passengers on its 16-deck cruise liner Ovation of the Seas were on a day trip to the island but did not provide further information.
Janet Urey, 61, a nurse from Richmond, Virginia, said her son Matthew, 36, and his wife, Janet, 32, were cruise passengers injured in the eruption while on their honeymoon.
"The phone rang at midnight. Then I heard a voicemail come on. It was my son. He said, 'Mom … this is not a joke. A volcano erupted while we were on the island. We're at the hospital with severe burns.'"
Urey said she was frustrated by the lack of information from the cruise ship he was on and from authorities.
"I have not heard a word from the cruise people," she said.
Topics: eruption, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, tourists killed, Volcano, White Island


New mixed use development in the heart of London, including offices and retail units.
Sturgis Carbon Profiling was commissioned by Great Portland Estates to produce a Whole-life Carbon Assessment of St Lawrence House and identify options that could reduce its embodied carbon impacts at design stage and through construction to practical completion.
Initially proposed to be a project with partial refurbishment, the estimated footprint was even lower compared to similar new builds. However, this option was not deemed feasible by the design team and the current scheme with all new superstructure with only part of the sub-structure retained was agreed.
The design team has incorporated recommendations made by SCP to reduce embodied carbon in their tender specifications and thus the project has a smaller carbon footprint than comparative new builds.
The project is currently on site and SCP has developed a site monitoring protocol to record the embodied carbon emissions for this building until its practical completion.


Investing in home renovations happens for many reasons. Some home improvement projects are very small and take a short period of time. Others require a great deal of labor and a good many days to complete. Regardless of whether you plan to do it all yourself or pay someone, there are lots of things to consider before you begin a project. This article is full of useful tips you need to know about before you get started with your first home improvement project.
Make your home look classy and sophisticated by adding an unconventional new addition. Putting in a wine cellar with built-in shelving can work wonders. It will seem impressive to your guests and also to future homeowners, who may be interested in buying your property.
You may need to repaint a porch. The paint you use should be high-quality and formulated for exterior use. Make sure the paint you choose has the same type of base as the previous paint; you should use oil over oil and latex over latex- or water-based paints. Trim is usually well served by oil-based paint because it lasts longer; however, oil paint is not good for exterior floors or decks since it can be slippery in rain and snow.
Before you start staining or painting wood, use sandpaper in order to make the surface smooth; then wipe the item using a damp rag. If you want a smooth effect, choose a piece of sandpaper with a very fine grit. The wet cloth will help eliminate dust.
Remember that your bathroom needs to have plenty of ventilation to function properly. Mold takes over when a bathroom retains its moisture. Even applying paint to the walls will not completely remove the mold. Rather, take a preventative step that keeps it from growing in the first place. Put in a vent or new window to help air the room out.
Use these two steps to make your ceiling look higher. Think about painting stripes on the wall or adding tall lamps. You'll notice your eye moves upwards. The lines will actually make the ceiling seem taller than it really is.
It can be expensive and time-consuming to update a home. However, if you are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of engaging in any home improvement project, no matter how large or small, you can save both time and money. You can make your home improvement project a real investment and avoid lots of potential problems by applying the tips shared here.


text:
Honor 6X (aka HUAWEI GR5 2017 or Mate 9 Lite) review
HUAWEI MediaPad M5 lite 8"
HUAWEI Wireless Charger
HUAWEI Smart Scale
HUAWEI Back-up
The Honor 6X isn't an entirely new phone. Although it experienced an international launch earlier this month, it's been around since its original unveiling in China last October. We've been using it since acquiring a unit at CES 2017; here's my take on the midrange smartphone.
Hold on… Honor what?
Honor is the hipper, more youthful sub-brand of HUAWEI. The latter is all about class and the highest-end features, whereas Honor caters to youngsters on a tighter budget. The 6X is the latest in the series, and it starts at $250.
The version we have on hand has 3 GB of memory and 32 GB of internal storage that's expandable using a microSD card. There's also a variant with 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of storage costing $300. Both have a 5.5-inch Full HD display and hybrid dual-SIM card tray.
In certain regions, this phone goes by the name HUAWEI GR5 2017 or Mate 9 Lite. That's so confusing! This has to do with the Honor brand being sold exclusively online wherever it's available; by branding it under HUAWEI, markets that prefer offline sales, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, can identify the phone a lot easier.
Why should you care?
The Honor 6X might look like a typical metal-bodied Chinese smartphone, but its edge lies in having a dual-camera setup at the back. While it doesn't provide optical zoom like on Apple's iPhone 7 Plus or improved image quality similar to the HUAWEI Mate 9, you can produce photos with added blur in the background, even after taking the shot.
This is made possible with one 12-megapixel camera capturing the scene and another 2-megapixel sensor recording depth information. Snap away all you want in the camera app's dual-camera mode, and readjust the focus point and amount of background blur whenever you feel like it in the pre-installed gallery app.
Is the extra camera worth it?
Yes, but it takes some practice to get it right. You must also understand that while HUAWEI loves comparing the Honor 6X's photos to those of real cameras, the shallow depth-of-field of the 6X clearly looks fake to trained eyes. Once you get the hang of it, creating artsy photos becomes fun, as long as it's done in moderation.
How about the main camera?
After spending days in dual-camera mode, I eventually got tired of all the afterthought needed and switched to using just the main 12-megapixel shooter full time. It's only here I uncovered most of the camera's weaknesses.
As much as I like the simplistic camera interface and easy application of filters, the shooting speed isn't that great. Shots taken at night are also incredibly noisy. The LED flash helped when subjects were close enough, but I otherwise avoided relying on the Honor 6X to produce anything presentable under crappy lighting.
The 8-megapixel selfie camera has the same nighttime problem, and even though daylight snaps were fine, the focal length is kind of narrow, so you won't be able to fit lots of friends or much of the background.
So, is there anything special beyond the cameras?
Not really, but I do appreciate the build quality. The all-metal body reminds me of the OnePlus 3's, which means it's solid and a pleasure to grip. The fingerprint scanner is fast, as well — typical of HUAWEI. Everything else is painfully average, from the screen's maximum brightness to the speaker's max volume.
The battery life can be described as just good enough. It'll net you four hours of screen-on time through a day's worth of mixed usage; a little more over a course of two days if you leave mobile data off or lower the display brightness. Fast charging is available using the bundled charger, bringing the 3340mAh battery to full in less than two hours.
If you're looking to turn this into a mobile gaming machine, expect average graphics performance. Titles such as Asphalt 8 and the NBA 2K series are too much to handle for the Honor 6X on the highest settings. Tone them down, and you'll get acceptable frame rates.
Any deal-breakers?
This is totally my own opinion, but I'm not a fan of HUAWEI's Android interface. It feels so outdated and unintuitive compared to other Android skins: The notifications shade covers the entire screen; it takes an extra swipe to access quick settings; the app overview menu isn't snappy enough; and customization options are minimal.
It also doesn't help that it'll be stuck at Android 6.0 Marshmallow for a while, and not the significantly better seventh-generation Nougat. The overall performance isn't that smooth either, mostly because of the middling Kirin 655 processor designed by HUAWEI itself. You'll notice heavier apps like Facebook take longer than usual to load, even when the memory and storage aren't full.
And, strangely enough for a 2017 smartphone, the Honor 6X still has a micro-USB port, not the newer and faster USB-C standard. If you're gradually updating all your chargers for the new port, the Honor 6X will make you regret starting so early.
Is this your GadgetMatch?
HUAWEI is targeting younger crowds for this Honor, which is probably a good idea. It's relatively affordable, has a newish feature in its dual-camera, and feels like it can handle several drops. The downsides are all things you can eventually get used to, so the Honor 6X may become your GadgetMatch after a few weeks of use. For a handset trying to do everything without breaking the $300 line, the Honor 6X / GR5 2017 / Mate 9 Lite is a smart choice.
Available colors are gold, silver, and gray
Read original article here: http://www.gadgetmatch.com/honor-6x-huawei-gr5-2017-mate-9-lite-review/
Service Center Location
Parts Price Query
Warranty Period & Support Service Query
Mail-In Service
Awards & Coverage


text:
Art, Craft and Book Extravaganza
Tea Gardens, Hawks Nest
by NOTA - January 4, 2017
ART & CRAFT RAFFLE: Founding member Joan Wilcox, Fran Nichols, and John Rappell, TGHN Surf Life Saving Club.
From small beginnings come great things.
Take this weekend's annual Art & Craft Exhibition and Sale in Tea Gardens.
The event has been held every year for over a quarter of a century, but the idea originated with a handful of women who met in a disused Army Hut in the middle of Hawks Nest Golf Course.
Back then, it was called the Hut Group and they held a small exhibition through the Christmas period to show off their creations and raise money for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and the Clinic Bus.
Fast forward to 2017 and the Art & Craft Exhibition and Sale is now held over three days and takes up three rooms in the Myall Community Art & Craft centre behind the Tourist Information Office just near the bridge.
All money raised still goes back into the community.
Secretary Sue Truscott said, "There are still four founding members involved in the current exhibition."
Over the years, the group has donated a defibrillator to the Hawks Nest Tea Gardens Surf Club, put more lighting outside the Ambulance Station and still found money to go towards the Rescue Helicopter and Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Myall Coast News Of The Area is again proud to be sponsoring and supporting this great local annual event.
If books are more your passion, there is also the Rotary Club's massive sale this weekend at the Hawks Nest Community Centre in Booner Street.
More than six thousand books are on sale, both fiction and nonfiction.
There is also a huge collection of CDs, DVDs, old LPs and tapes.
All proceeds go back into the community to support not-for-profit organisations such as the local Surf Club.
Both events are being held over three days from Friday 6 January through to Sunday 8 January.
By Margie TIERNEY
Hawks Nest Beach patrolled seven-days a week during holiday season
River of Confusion for Myall River system


DLL is a global vendor company working in eight industries. We enable your businesses to use the assets you need to contribute to the world in a meaningful way, both economically and socially. We create success for you as a partner, as a customer and ourselves by seeing what really counts.


Buy 6-11 Brightwell Aquatics products and receive a 5% discount.
mineral secreted by reef-building organisms as skeletal material.
Brightwell Aquatics ChaetoGro is a complete phosphate and nitrate free multi-nutrient with iron, cobalt and molybdenum for chaetomorpha growth and vigor in all marine systems.
resulting in improved water clarity (particularly in aquaria with heavy bioloads).


text:
@interface CallingTests : KIFTestCase
@end

@implementation CallingTests

#pragma mark - Pre and Post Test Methods

- (void)beforeAll
{
    [tester initializeLoginScreen];
    [tester loginEndpoint:[KIFUITestActor generateTestEndpointID] groupName:TEST_BOT_GROUP_ID appID:nil];
}

- (void)afterAll
{
    [tester logout];
    [tester resetLoginScreen];
}

#pragma mark - UI Tests

- (void)testOutgoingAudioCall
{
    // click on table cell (testbot endpoint)
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:TEST_BOT_ENDPOINT_ID];

    // hit "call" bar button item
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_CALL_BUTTON];

    // hit "audio only" button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_AUDIO_CALL_BUTTON];

    // wait for status indicator to disappear
    [tester waitForAbsenceOfViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_STATUS_INDICATOR];

    // hit mute button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_MUTE_AUDIO_BUTTON];

    // hit unmute button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_UNMUTE_AUDIO_BUTTON];

    // verify mute button reappears
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_MUTE_AUDIO_BUTTON];

    // hit end call button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_END_CALL_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate back to chat view
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_MESSAGE_TEXTFIELD];

    // hit back bar button item to navigate back to group list
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_BACK_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate to group list
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:GROUP_LIST_TABLE_VIEW];
}

- (void)testIncomingAudioCall
{
    // click on table cell (testbot endpoint)
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:TEST_BOT_ENDPOINT_ID];

    // enter "call me" message into textbox
    [tester enterText:TEST_BOT_CALL_ME_AUDIO_MESSAGE intoViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_MESSAGE_TEXTFIELD];

    // click send to request audio call
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_SEND_BUTTON];

    // click answer button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_ANSWER_BUTTON];

    // wait for status indicator to disappear
    [tester waitForAbsenceOfViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_STATUS_INDICATOR];

    // hit end call button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_END_CALL_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate back to chat view
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_MESSAGE_TEXTFIELD];

    // hit back bar button item to navigate back to group list
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_BACK_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate to group list
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:GROUP_LIST_TABLE_VIEW];
}

- (void)testIncomingCallIgnore
{
    // click on table cell (testbot endpoint)
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:TEST_BOT_ENDPOINT_ID];

    // enter message in textbox to request audio call
    [tester enterText:TEST_BOT_CALL_ME_AUDIO_MESSAGE intoViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_MESSAGE_TEXTFIELD];

    // click send
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_SEND_BUTTON];

    // click the ignore button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_IGNORE_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate back to chat view
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_MESSAGE_TEXTFIELD];

    // hit back bar button item to navigate back to group list
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_BACK_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate to group list
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:GROUP_LIST_TABLE_VIEW];
}

- (void)testOutgoingVideoCall
{
    // click on table cell (testbot endpoint)
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:TEST_BOT_ENDPOINT_ID];

    // hit "call" bar button item
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_CALL_BUTTON];

    // hit "video call" button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_VIDEO_CALL_BUTTON];

    // wait for status indicator to disappear
    [tester waitForAbsenceOfViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_STATUS_INDICATOR];

    // verify local video view
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_LOCAL_VIDEO_VIEW];

    // verify remote video view
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_REMOTE_VIDEO_VIEW];

    // hit mute audio button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_MUTE_AUDIO_BUTTON];

    // hit unmute audio button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_UNMUTE_AUDIO_BUTTON];

    // verify mute audio button reappears
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_MUTE_AUDIO_BUTTON];

    // hit "switch camera" button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_SWITCH_CAMERA_BUTTON];

    // TODO: verify camera switched?

    // hit mute video button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_MUTE_VIDEO_BUTTON];

    // verify local video view disappears
    [tester waitForAbsenceOfViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_LOCAL_VIDEO_VIEW];

    // hit unmute video button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_UNMUTE_VIDEO_BUTTON];

    // verify local video view reappears
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_LOCAL_VIDEO_VIEW];

    // hit end call button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_END_CALL_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate back to chat view
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_MESSAGE_TEXTFIELD];

    // hit back bar button item to navigate back to group list
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_BACK_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate to group list
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:GROUP_LIST_TABLE_VIEW];
}

- (void)testIncomingVideoCall
{
    // click on table cell (testbot endpoint)
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:TEST_BOT_ENDPOINT_ID];

    // enter "call me" message into textbox
    [tester enterText:TEST_BOT_CALL_ME_VIDEO_MESSAGE intoViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_MESSAGE_TEXTFIELD];

    // click send to request video call
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_SEND_BUTTON];

    // click answer button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_ANSWER_BUTTON];

    // wait for status indicator to disappear
    [tester waitForAbsenceOfViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_STATUS_INDICATOR];

    // verify local video view
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_LOCAL_VIDEO_VIEW];

    // verify remote video view
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_REMOTE_VIDEO_VIEW];

    // hit end call button
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CALL_VIEW_END_CALL_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate back to chat view
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_MESSAGE_TEXTFIELD];

    // hit back bar button item to navigate back to group list
    [tester tapViewWithAccessibilityLabel:CHAT_BACK_BUTTON];

    // verify we navigate to group list
    [tester waitForViewWithAccessibilityLabel:GROUP_LIST_TABLE_VIEW];
}

#pragma mark - Helper Methods

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Sign Up for HOME.COMING & Family Weekend (and Join Our Contest) - The College of Saint Rose
Sign Up for HOME.COMING & Family Weekend (and Join Our Contest)
Saint Rose alumni are invited to register for the 2017 HOME.COMING & Family Weekend, which will be held September 22 through 24.
The weekend will be packed with opportunities to connect and reconnect with your Saint Rose classmates. Activities include a tour of Albany, musical performances, a walk/run at the nearby Crossings park, plenty of sports to take part in or watch, and for the first time, the 15 Minutes Max Student Film Festival, which will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday.
To register, see who's coming, and view the schedule, click here. The registration deadline is Monday, September 18.
Watch our Facebook page for a weekly contest leading up to the event, in which you could win two tickets to HOME.COMING Fest on Saturday, September 23.
‹ Return to Alumni Newsletter
Other Recent Stories
A Message from President Carolyn J. Stefanco: A Look Back at 2019
Music Professor Inducted into Steinway & Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame
A Recap of Saint Rose in New York City


text:
Thomas Dalton Bambury
It is with sad regret, that SLOC announces the passing of Thomas D. Bambury. Thomas served in many capacities with SLOC, ranging from backstage activities to principle acting roles to director to chorographer. Thomas's last directing stint for SLOC was Side by Side(2010). Thomas also directed among others, the spellbinding, Jekyll and Hyde(2004). His acting roles included Rooster in Annie(1990) and Hewes in 1776 (1989), John Wilkes Booth inAssassins (2009). Thomas, at the age of 49 has left us way too soon. We will remember you, Thomas
Thomas lived a short life (49 years), yet he lived life to the fullest. An actor, director, and choreographer, Thomas for almost 3 decades was a very active participate in the community theatre scene. From Classic Theatre Guild to Family Players to SLOC, he posessed a treasure of theatrical experience and knowledge. His range as an actor was enormous…over 80 roles. From Rooster in Annie(1990), John Wilkes Booth in SLOC's Assassins(2009), and Willie Conklin in Ragtime (2011). His skill as an actor was enormous. A talent!
Thomas was a "people person." As a director or a counselor or as a caretaker for his mother Jean, this trait shined through. Thomas was close to his family, and the Dalton Family were heavily involved with SLOC. Jean Dalton was an usher for SLOC, and who could ever forget, Mr. Dalton "Duffy" Bambury…an actor and who manned the "bar" at the State Street Opera house. In his bio for, Jekyll andHyde, Thomas ended it with a personal message of thanks to his father, '"This the moment."' Thomas will be remembered as a kind and understanding person.
HIGHLITES:
Directed: How to Succeed in Business(1994)
Falsettos(1995)
Godspell(1996)
Jekyll and Hyde(2004)
Nine(2006)
Side by Side (2010)
Acting: Benjamin (Amahl and the Night Visitors1987
Bundles (Annie 1990)
Hewes (1776 1989)
John Wilkes Booth (Assassins2009) TANYS Award
Willie Conklin (Ragtime2011)
Adminstration: Board member, VP Public Relations, along with Dave Dixon published online newsletter
Previous LinkDuff BamburyNext LinkNorman F. Barnes


Creatine is one of the most popular and most scientifically proven supplements available. Supported by dozens of scientific studies, it provides the energy for high-intensity and strength/power based workouts. Creatine has been shown to increase the physical performance in successive bursts of short-term high-intensity exercise. CSN stocks a range of drug tested creatine products so that you can be sure that these products meet the highest standards and are totally free of banned substances.


text:
Renewing Our Strength
Adequate Power Is Available
It is this power — the transcendent power of the divine-human connection — that gives us strength. Because of this connection, Paul says, "we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed." [2 Corinthians 4:8-9]
By John H. Campbell
As a bisexual, I am so deeply hurt whenever I hear someone in the gay or lesbian community discriminate against me or others like me because of how I live my life as who I am or simply because I am perceived as a threat to gay/lesbian identity. In the Christian community, I sometimes face persecution because of the openness of my beliefs. But as I say the Lord's Prayer, all that melts away and I am close to God. It is a way to me to visit Heaven.
By Rev. Vera I. Bourne
I wonder how often we have sung, "They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength"? Here lies the truth of our renewal, our intimate and unceasing relationship with God. Waiting upon God! Not rushing hither and thither as if we were trying to put out brush fires with our bare hands, but waiting upon God.
Grace vs. Legalism: Wherein Lies Our Strength?
By Steven Hopesharer
Wherein lies our strength? It lies within the grace of a loving God, equally applicable to all regardless of their sexual orientation, whether it be homosexual or heterosexual or bisexual or even if it be as a transgender child of the living God. It lies in a God Who manifests His infinite and inclusive love through Jesus Christ and securely seals our eternal life in Heaven through His Holy Spirit. Let no person or groups of people, influenced by the enemy, convince you otherwise least your strength will be depleted and become in need of renewal.
By L. Louise
Everyone needs their own private source of refilling. We have to come close to God on our own time and in our own way to do this. This is where the personal relationship that one has with God becomes critical. If the relationship with God is weak, one is unable to connect to God independently.
By Rembert Truluck
I was trying to force myself to fit into the religious ideas and experience of someone else. I felt like a total failure. I could not do it. One good thing that happened in this was that I decided to search the New Testament and read everything that I could find about salvation. I found no place where salvation was connected with feeling!
The Light at the Ocean Depths
By Carol Stabel
As I assume more responsibility for the world in which I live, I must renew my strength. For this the still small voice of my soul bids me to Light a candle in the darkness, as well as to open myself to the Light in others. In that quiet place, in the stillness, the silence, I can listen and wait for a quickening or opening within my soul.
By Rev. Greg Smith
In the scriptures, Moses learned to stand up for himself and his people against the full strength of the Egyptian empire. We can apply the same lesson to our own lives.
Special Report: Lynchburg 2000
Against All Odds: A Reflection on Soulforce at Lynchburg
By Lawrence A. Reh
Two hundred people of faith (mostly Christians, but with a number of Jews, Buddhists and agnostics in the mix) felt called to Lynchburg this fall, the headquarters of the Jerry Falwell Ministries, home of the Southern Baptist preacher who has been one of the leading sources of anti-LGBT rhetoric for the past generation.
A Candid Look at the Journey to Lynchburg
By Larry Ellis
Lynchburg is behind us. As I reflect on the good and the bad, I am impressed mostly by the tremendous effort of Mel White for standing on our behalf and in the face of opposition from both sides, for seeing this through to closure. I am moved by Jerry Falwell's leadership in taking the lead among conservative Christians to allow this dialogue to occur.
The Surprise of Lynchburg
By Don Davis
I hold Jerry and many others responsible for words that have led and continue to lead to violent acts. I abhor that. Jerry heard condemnation of his words this weekend from two hundred of us and we looked him in the eyes when we told him and his followers our stories. He told us he's going to try to do better; we've told him that we'll hold him to his word and we'll go back to him if he lies to us.
Eating With Sinners
Jesus was condemned for "eating with sinners" and for associating with outcast and "unclean" people. Whatever Paul might have said about problems related to issues that divided early believers in certain often uncertain situations in 1 Corinthians and elsewhere, nothing Paul had to say can negate the clear teachings and actions of Jesus that all people have equal value before God and the obvious fact that Jesus demonstrated his acceptance and identification of himself with all people by eating with them and inviting them to share a meal together.
Homospirituality
With Feeling — Two: When I Think of Home
By Neil Ellis Orts
If I examine my life only to complain and make excuses, then that life isn't any more worth living than an unexamined life. What I want you to hear in this these words is that there is a way to figure out the why of our failures of our discontent. It's the only way to do anything about them.
When I Was a Child
By Lawrence Reh
When I was a child, growing up in a fairly strict home that centered around Lutheran fundamentalism, one of the most punishing things that I remember hearing from either Mom or Dad, in terms of correction, was the phrase, "Shame on you."
Call to Witness
"Call to Witness" is a powerful testimony to the discomfort, and broken lives, that the fight over GLBT acceptance has caused within the Lutheran church especially.
Transpirituality
God's Standards of Care
By Caroline Mason
Perhaps, it's time we established a spiritual Standards of Care for Transsexuals. However, this would not be related to how others treat us, but how we treat others.
Will You Try To Understand?
You may think that you don't know anyone in the transgender community but you probably do. Unless you live alone in a cave, someone you know is likely to be a transvestite who is afraid to tell you for fear of rejection.
Second Coming: A Poem
However everyone reading this decides to spend their holiday season, don't forget that the real meaning of Christmas is celebrating the gift of God's Love for us all as embodied in the gift of Jesus' life, ministry and teachings so that all of us, including LGBT Christians, can share in the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven forever, within all of our hearts — if only we believe.
Two Christmas Stories
Here are two Christmas stories. One takes a new look at Christmas gifts, the other a different Christmas tree.
Is It Christmas Yet?
By Mary Sue Horan
Each year there is a moment when Christmas arrives. It doesn't arrive before Halloween when some stores start putting out their Christmas stuff.
You Are a Whosoever
By Rev. Jerrell Walls
It seems that the only people who have no place in the Kingdom of God are the ones who didn't choose their orientation — the homosexuals. The basic Biblical principle in John 3:16 is that God accepts all of us as we are!
Bible Study and Inspiration
Texts of Terror, Texts of Hope: Teaching the Bible as Literature in a Gay-Friendly Context
By Michael J. Mazza
A key element in our struggle against injustice–whether we struggle as pastors, as academics, as political activists, or as private individuals in our daily lives–must be a revolutionary, liberatory approach to the scriptures of our particular faith traditions. Indeed, these scriptures constitute a significant manifestation of that powerful, double-edged language of which Audre Lorde wrote. In so reclaiming these texts–these texts of both terror and hope–we accept the challenge to be agents of positive societal transformation.
The Bible Says …
How often have you heard the words "The Bible says …" followed by verbal, emotional and religious abuse, rejection and invalidation of you as a person? Did God intend that the Bible should be used to cause the human suffering that is being endured from religion by GLBT people today?
Our Judgments of Morality
By Rev. Dr. Jerry S. Maneker
Jesus as human was the consequence of fornication and whoredom, and He had in His lineage a murderer. The prophet Hosea was told by God to marry a prostitute. (Hosea 1:2) The prophet Isaiah was told by God to walk around naked for three years. (Isaiah 20:3) Can you imagine what the Church world, the Vatican, and we ourselves would make of all these events today?
Gottaleah
By Jon Loy
You see, Gottaleah is not a disease of the blood, nor is it a bacterial disease that attacks the different portions of the body. It is a state of mind which predominantly affects the majority of Christians life and attitude and depending on how one deals with it is the result seen.
Hymns of the Lukewarm Church
Hermeneutics Applied to a Stop Sign


The Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno method is a quasi-Newton method to solve unconstrained nonlinear optimization problems.
The Davidon-Fletcher-Powell method is a quasi-Newton method to solve unconstrained nonlinear optimization problems.
Huang's updating formula is a family of formulas which encompasses the rank-one, DFP, BFGS as well as some other formulas.
the McCormick algorithm does not seem to work well; need further investigation; don't use it.
This is the Pearson method.
The Quasi-Newton methods in optimization are for finding local maxima and minima of functions.
The Rank One method is a quasi-Newton method to solve unconstrained nonlinear optimization problems.


Construction related law and regulations govern how the construction businesses and activities should be carried out in lawfully and orderly manners. There are various sets of codes of practices governing specific areas of works whether in design or implementations of construction works from before the commencement until the end of completion of any construction project. Whether you work in developer, consultant, main contractor, trade specialist, subcontractors or suppliers, getting familiarized with construction law and regulations and the various code of practices is an essential part of your job.
The construction related authorities BCA, URA, MOM, PUB, NEA, LTA, SCDF, HDB, JTC, MINDEF, IDA etc, in Singapore have their respective rules and regulations to abide to for construction activities. These lists of regulations together with the code of practices define the boundary of how construction activities should be carried out in Singapore.
These are the legal boundaries for all construction businesses to follow. Get yourself familiar with them to steer clear off legal troubles.
Construction industry has shown significant growth over the years in terms of sheer volume and technological advancements. Increasing reliance on construction industry for overall economic growth of the country has prompted many countries to introduce proper legislation, rules and laws governing the industry as a whole.
Construction related Law and Regulations concern the issue related to the building construction, engineering standards and related field. The scope of any construction related law and regulations cover wide range of legal issues faced by the industry. The overall impact of these legal requirement and guidelines extends to all the participants related to construction industry which includes financial institution, architects and construction workers etc.
It is imperative for any construction company to get acclimatized to the various laws and regulations governing the construction business in the country. Taking the example of country like Singapore where a large chunk of economic activities hinges around the construction business, government of Singapore has taken significant measures to supervise and regulate the construction industry keeping close check on the health and safety of the workers and general public. There are number of laws and regulations which are in force to ascertain the best interest of people involved.
Industry relevant law & regulations is enforced in Singapore as the primary act governing the overall conditions of construction business in Singapore. It outline the required standard which are necessary to build a construction project in the country which includes the approval of building plan and permits required to construct any building. It further outlines the roles and responsibilities of all the major stakeholders in the business environment such as developers, qualified persons, site supervisors and builders etc.
The Singapore construction industry is also governed by BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SECURITY OF PAYMENT ACT. The primary objective of this act is to provide the guidelines and legislation to help in the payments for construction work done. It also includes the related goods or services supplied in the building and construction industry and the scope further extend to all the matters connected with this aspect.
Building and Construction Authority Act Singapore is also in force to govern the Building and Construction Authority outlining the major functions and powers provided to the BCA and extend the scope to all the matters which are directly or indirectly concerned with it.
Following the laws and regulation of the country provides enormous benefits to the organizations working in the country. Singapore authorities have always had a strong stand for the health and safety aspect of the workers and general public and always keep the main focus on the activities of such companies.
Best practice are always emphasized and encouraged to be followed which invariably results in the safe and high quality construction ensuring the safety standards in line with the quality built environment. Environmental friendly and sustainable practice are emphasized for the benefit of all people of the country. The guidelines and regulations assist the various stakeholders involved in the construction process to avoid any punitive action thereby increasing their market worth. Responsibility of all the parties involved are outlined thereby negating the chances of any misconception.
Need some professional advice on legal matters? Check out our construction legal advice listings.
Join in the discussion on the relevant topics and contribute your ideas and opinions in our construction law forum.


text:
Crespo (Venezuela), een gemeente in de Venezolaanse staat Lara
Crespo (Entre Ríos), een plaats in het Argentijnse departement Paraná in de provincie Entre Ríos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Rhode Island continues to put the CAA Football conference on notice with another statement win, this time in a blowout fashion. The Rams are now in sole possession of first place in the league after a dominating 45-26 win over UAlbany Saturday afternoon in their home opener at Meade Stadium. The Week 2 victory marks the first time Rhode Island has started the season 2-0 since 2005, and the first time the Rams have started 2-0 in conference play since 2001. It's also the first time since 2005 that Rhode Island has landed on a national Top 25 poll, moving from No. 29 to No. 25 in the latest STATS FCS Top 25 Poll.
Unlike in Week 1 at Delaware, Rhode Island got off to a fast start, particularly in the passing game. The Rams scored on the first seven possessions, scoring six touchdowns and a field goal. The defense also continued its dominance and scored 14 points off turnovers for the second straight week. Special teams also played an important role for the second straight week, after junior Ahmere Dorsey returned a 69-yard punt for a touchdown to put the game on ice.
Now with a record of 2-0 on the young season, the Rams will travel to play the UConn Huskies in a non-conference game on Saturday, the first meeting between the schools since 2009. The Huskies are off to a tough start this season, dropping their first two games to UCF and Bosie State by a combined score of 118-24. Going up against a young Huskies team, the Rams will look to keep their season rolling into Connecticut. Here are three things we learned about the Rams after their big Week 2 win.
Senior quarterback JaJuan Lawson had the best game of his Rhody career on Saturday against UAlbany, and his performance might have defensive coordinators across the CAA nervous. After a Week 1 win over Delaware in which the passing game struggled at times to get into rhythm, Lawson had the offense firing on all cylinders early and often. The quarterback who transferred from New Mexico was dazzling, throwing for 317 yards and four touchdowns on 22-of-28 passing (78.6 percent). Lawson's stellar performance earned him CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in his career.
Lawson showed great poise and his ability to rely on multiple receivers, completing his four touchdowns to four different receivers. Head coach Jim Fleming believes that a year in the system has benefited Lawson and is a reason for his early season success.
"JaJuan understands where he's supposed to go with the ball, he knows how to win games and he's settled himself into a very effective performer," Fleming said Monday morning.
In his second season in Rhode Island, Lawson is proving to be one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the conference. He leads the CAA in both touchdown passes (5) and passing efficiency (184.5). He's also second in completion percentage (71.4) and third in both passing yards (487) and passing yards per game (243.5). And don't forget, Lawson is also dangerous with his legs, a part of his game he didn't even need to use to put up big numbers against UAlbany. If that doesn't scare the CAA conference, then I don't know what will.
Speaking of scaring the CAA Conference, how do you think other team's view Rhode Island's receiving core after the Week 2 win over Albany? The wide receiver unit was expected to be a major strength for this team coming into the season, and was even praised as the best receiving core in the entire CAA by some. Saturday was a true example of how explosive the Rams' receivers could be. Lawson's four touchdown strikes went to Aaron Parker, Marven Beauvais, Isaiah Coulter and tight end Tyler Burke.
Parker showed the difference he brings to this Rams' passing attack, exploding for a game-high 146 receiving yards on nine catches, including a 59-yard play on a pitch from Lawson which burned Albany's defense down the sideline to put the Rams inside the 20-yard line. A couple plays later, Lawson found Parker in the corner of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown that put the Rams up 21-7 in the second quarter.
Parker wasn't the only receiver to make an impact on this game. Coulter also had a big day, matching Parker with nine catches of his own for 109 yards and an 18-yard touchdown catch at the end of the first quarter. Parker and Coulter combined for 18 catches, two touchdowns and 155 yards. Coulter's emergence could be big for this team, giving the passing game another weapon to work with.
"I'm real hopeful that you watch a kid who's a true sophomore continue to blossom," Fleming said of Coulter. "He's a real threat in this league.
But the play of the day came on the first score of the day, when Beauvais leaped over a defender to score a 28-yard touchdown. Beauvais finished the day with two catches and 29 yards. Parker, Coulter, and Beauvais are proving to be Lawson's top targets this season, giving this offense a lot of receiving depth. All three receivers have elusive speed, are good route runners and have the ability to hurt a defense in multiple ways. They can take the top off the defense and kill you on short, intermediate passes. CAA secondaries are going to have a tough time slowing these guys down.
The Rhody defense was once again dominant at times in Week 2, holding Albany to just seven points going into the fourth quarter before Albany scored 19 in the final period. Rams' defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis' unit forced two more turnovers that helped URI score 14 points of turnovers for the second week in a row. Their five fumble recoveries through two games rank No. 1 in the nation.
The man leading the way for the defense was junior defensive end L.B. Mack III, who continues to make a name for himself as a playmaker. Mack had his second career two-sack performance, and tied teammates Nas Jones and D.J. Stewart for a team-high six tackles, with 3 of them coming for a loss of yards. Mack also forced one of the two fumbles on the day.
Fleming was very pleased with Mack's play, saying he was tremendous and played his run responsibilities very well.
"He's got a tremendous first step, good speed and an ability to close in on the quarterback, and productivity wise it was off the charts," Fleming said.
Mack and the defense will have a key role in determining Saturday's outcome at UConn.


text:
Solar system has trailing tail, just like comet
Tail may stretch 100 billion miles
NASA can prove it now: Our solar system has a tail, just like comets.Get breaking news alerts sent to your emailScientists revealed images Wednesday showing the tail emanating from the bullet-shaped region of space under the grip of the sun, including the solar system and beyond. The region is known as the heliosphere, thus the name heliotail.The findings are based on data from by NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX. The Earth-orbiting spacecraft was launched in 2008.Scientists always presumed the heliosphere had a tail, but this provides the first real data on the shape.Chief IBEX investigator David McComas, who's with the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said it's difficult to calculate the length of the heliotail. But the evaporating end of the tail could stretch 100 billion miles.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —
NASA can prove it now: Our solar system has a tail, just like comets.
Get breaking news alerts sent to your email
Scientists revealed images Wednesday showing the tail emanating from the bullet-shaped region of space under the grip of the sun, including the solar system and beyond. The region is known as the heliosphere, thus the name heliotail.
The findings are based on data from by NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX. The Earth-orbiting spacecraft was launched in 2008.
Scientists always presumed the heliosphere had a tail, but this provides the first real data on the shape.
Chief IBEX investigator David McComas, who's with the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said it's difficult to calculate the length of the heliotail. But the evaporating end of the tail could stretch 100 billion miles.


Hi guys! My name is Nicolette and I'm a marketing intern for The Magnificent Mile Association! I'm originally from the suburbs of Detroit and now go to school in the suburbs of Grand Rapids. All that time in the suburbs left me itching for city life so I decided to study "abroad" in Chicago this semester. Being new to the city, I took a day to do some exploring. Join me as I check out some of Chicago's must-see spots!
My first stop was The Art Institute of Chicago. TripAdvisor has ranked the museum as one of the top museums in the world for four years in a row, and it shows! I could've spent all day just wandering around the over one million square-foot museum.
If you don't have all day, be sure to check out Journey Maker, an interactive experience that creates a personalized tour based on the art you want to see. There are thousands of journey options to choose from, each one unique and different from the last. I loved getting the chance to customize my own journeytour, but my favorite part of the tour was the miniature Thorne rooms. These models recreate rooms from the late 13th century all the way to the 1930's -definitely unlike anything I'd ever seen before! The museum does an incredible job at tying in exhibits with current city happenings, so be sure to check their website before you visit.
After exploring The Art Institute, I decided to head to the John Hancock Center to see the sights from 94 floors up! The Observation Deck offers panoramic views of the Chicago from every direction. Not sure where to look first? Try finding some iconic Chicago landmarks like Wrigley Field and Navy Pier. If you're more of a thrill seeker you may enjoy Tilt! Guests are tilted out at a 30- degree angle while standing over 1000 ft. above the ground, all in their own personal glass booth. It was my favorite part of the tour!
After a morning of exploring, I was ready for lunch, so I headed over to Bar Toma for some pizza. Chef Tony Mantuano took years of traveling through Italy to perfect their his pizza dough recipe. Whether you enjoy their classic pepperoni or more unique speck & egg pizza, the crust is sure to wow any pizza fanatic. While you're there, be sure to try their Monkey Business appetizer!
After lunch I was so full, but couldn't bring myself to pass on dessert, so I made my way to Magnolia Bakery in the heart of downtown. The Bakery originally began in New York City, but has since expanded to over 12 different major cities worldwide. While they bake cookies, brownies, and cupcakes fresh every day, it's their banana pudding that really sets them apart from the other big city bakeries.
I rounded out the day with one last Chicago must: a rooftop bar. I decided to try out Cindy's, located on top of the beautiful Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. Cindy's is the perfect spot for dinner, happy hour, or even weekend brunch. Take in the sites of both the lake and the city from their floor-to-ceiling windows while enjoying a drink from their large selection of beer, wine, and cocktail. Personally, I decided to keep it simple with a glass of Pinot Grigio, but with so many options for cocktails (and mocktails!) there's a drink to please everyone!
Chicago has so much to offer and my day exploring only scratched the surface. Be sure to keep up with our blog for the latest cool events and city happenings!


State and federal laws require that all crew members handling or supervising the handling of asbestos and lead-based paint pass appropriate licensing examinations. In addition, those involved with hazardous waste remediation must be licensed for hazardous waste operations and emergency response, or HAZWOPER.
To qualify for these types of licenses, most states require them to pass an initial round of training and certification. This training is followed by annual rounds of refresher coursework.
Cumberland Environmental recommends its' team members obtain their training from Tennessee Environmental Services Company (TES), an affiliated organization located in the Nashville, Tennessee area. TES provides a variety of environmental remediation courses in both English and Spanish that have been accredited by state agencies throughout the southeast United States.
TES is continually adding new courses and dates to its schedule. For current information on their course offerings, schedules, and costs, please phone TES at (615) 377-0881.


Don't Miss Your Opportunity to Comment on the Origin of Livestock Proposed Rule | CCOF - Organic certification, education and outreach, advocacy and leadership since 1973.
Submit your comments today on the National Organic Program's (NOP) proposed rule on Origin of Livestock.
After years of anticipation, the NOP recently published a proposed rule that updates and clarifies organic requirements related to the transition of nonorganic dairy animals to organic production. The proposed rule states that milk or milk products labeled or sold as organic must come from dairy animals that have been managed organically since the last third of gestation, but that the NOP will make a one-time allowance for a producer to transition conventional dairy animals into organic milk production after a one-year transitional period.
The proposed rule also includes definitions for "transitional crop" and "transitional animal," as well as clarification on how dairy animals transitioned to organic production can be sold.
The Origin of Livestock Proposed rule is not yet final, so this is your chance to weigh in and tell NOP how the rule may impact your operation and make recommendations.
The proposed rule applies to organic dairy operations; including farms milking cows, goats, sheep, buffalo, and bison. Organic creameries, producers of organic dairy products, and consumers of organic dairy products should consider commenting as well.
Interested parties should submit comments by the July 27 deadline. The NOP accepts comments online at regulations.gov (click on the blue "comment now" button), as well as by mail. For more information on the proposed rule, as well as on how to submit comments, refer to the National Organic Program - Origin of Livestock proposed rule (docket # AMS-NOP-11-0009; NOP-11-04PR).
If you have questions about the proposed rule or the comment submission process, contact Meaghan Donovan at policy@ccof.org.


We get to see a closer glimpse of Brantley Gilbert's personal life in the music video for his song "The Ones That Like Me." We even get to see Brantley's wife in the video. She's pregnant in the video but has since given birth to their first child.


Get 50% OFF the Second Case When You Buy 2!
If you love innovative and original accessories, this cute Liquid Glitter iPhone Case with floating App icons or Emojis is what you need.
Satisfaction Guaranteed. 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
Shipping is insured with tracking numbers.
Please allow 15 to 25 days for shipping.


With an average age of 19, according to themselves, Emperor Norton, was one of the youngest band of the Fusion 2019 festival. I asked a friend beforehand if they were any good, and he said they were the best band from his hometown. I believe he was underselling Emperor Norton because I liked it a lot. I have one problem though I don't like falsetto singing, and there was some of that.


Hundreds of mourners assembled Saturday at a North Carolina church to pay their final respects to Shan'ann Watts, her unborn son, and her daughters, 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste.
But one person was missing from the 90-minute long funeral: Shan'ann's husband, Chris Watts, who stands accused of murdering his wife and two daughters.
A source who has spoken with Watts in jail tells PEOPLE that the 33-year-old suspect was "aware" of the funeral proceedings, but had no input in it. "He knew better than to suggest anything," the source says.


text:
Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)
At the forefront of growth and development in Asia and the Pacific
Distinguished Speaker Series: The Economics of Cross-Border Supervisory Cooperation
Event | 30 July 2019 ADBI, Tokyo, Japan
Speaker Details
Speaker: Thorsten Beck
Affiliation: Cass Business School, London
Time: 11:30–12:30
Recent crises have given impetus to closer international cooperation among bank supervisors. This seminar will feature Dr Thorsten Beck of Cass Business School who will discuss the importance of cross-border supervisory cooperation.
Dr Beck will document distortions in supervisory decisions that arise from national supervision of cross-border banks, examine trade-offs in moving from national to supranational supervision, and provide empirical evidence on the factors explaining cross-border supervisory cooperation and its consequences.
Thorsten Beck is Professor of Banking and Finance at Cass Business School in London. He is also a research fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research and CESifo.
His research focuses on the relationship between finance and economic development as well as policies needed to build a sound and effective financial system.
Previously he was Professor of Economics at Tilburg University from 2008-2014 and the founding chair of the European Banking Center from 2008 to 2013. He also worked in the World Bank's research department and as a consultant for the European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank for International Settlements, IMF, European Commission, and German Development Corporation.
He holds a PhD from the University of Virginia and an MA from the University of Tübingen in Germany.
Stay up to date Subscribe to our newsletter and get the latest issues, news, events, jobs and data in your e-mail inbox.
Beirne, John Research Fellow Research ADB Institute E-mail contact form
Other ADBI Events
Toggle Footer Contents
© 2019 Asian Development Bank Institute. Terms of Use
Kasumigaseki Building 8F, 3-2-5, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6008, Japan
The Asian Development Bank Institute was established in 1997 in Tokyo, Japan, to help build capacity, skills, and knowledge related to poverty reduction and other areas that support long-term growth and competitiveness in developing economies in Asia and the Pacific.
ADBI News
Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest news and find out about our upcoming events and job openings.
Subscriber Services - Subscribe to ADB's Newsletter, e-Alerts and RSS feeds.