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Tag Archives: Canada
'Shift in perspective:' Indigenous place names moving Canada from colonial past
From left to right, Christina Hardie, Robert Houle, Roxanne Tootoosis, Lynda Minoose, Noella Steinhauer, Lillian Gadwa, Terri Suntjens, Theresa Strawberry, Edna Elias and Beatrice Morin are shown in this undated handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS
EDMONTON — To Terri Suntjens, symbolism means everything.
That's why she decided to get involved with the City of Edmonton's initiative to rename its wards. Suntjens, who is from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, became a co-chair of the Indigenous Naming Committee.
"Our elders talk to us about how symbolism is so important," says Suntjens, who is also director of Indigenous initiatives at Edmonton's MacEwan University.
"And we can teach from that."
Earlier this month, the city passed a bylaw to give its 12 numbered wards Indigenous names.
A committee of Indigenous women chose the names, which come from nine groups: Cree, Dene, Inuit, Blackfoot, Anishinaabe, Michif (Métis), Mohawk (Michel Band), Sioux and Papaschase.
Edmonton is a gathering place for all nations, Suntjens says, so it was important to consult with elders across the province.
The decision by Alberta's capital to give its wards Indigenous names is an example of a movement in Canada away from names or figures with colonial connections.
In the summer, a group toppled a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in Montreal after a peaceful march through the city's downtown, one of several demonstrations held across the country by a coalition of Black and Indigenous activists.
Other statues of Canada's first prime minister have been a point of contention, too, as some want them removed because of his troubled history with Indigenous people.
In Halifax,a group including the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq Chiefs recommended a statue dedicated to city founder Edward Cornwallis be permanently removed, and a street and a park honouring him also be renamed.
Commemoration of Cornwallis, a British officer accused of genocide against Indigenous people, is incompatible with current values, the group said in a report in July.
Suntjens says there are schools across the country named after people with problematic colonial histories. Her committee decided early on to stay away from naming Edmonton's wards after people and to honour the land instead.
"We do not think of people as above us or below us," Suntjens says. "We don't put people up on pedestals. That is not our way."
The name for Edmonton's former Ward 2, for example, is Aniriq, meaning breath of life or spirit in Inuktun. It was recommended by Inuit elders to honour their people who died of tuberculosis in Edmonton.
In the 1950s and '60s, about one-third of Inuit were infected with the illness and most were flown south for treatment. Many died without their families being notified and were buried in cemeteries in the city.
Rob Houle, an Indigenous writer and researcher who also served on the renaming committee, says feedback has mostly been positive, but some councillors showed resistance.
"Some might have expected these Indigenous names for the wards to be easier or introductory in nature, but that is not what we were tasked to do."
That kind of reaction prompted Edmonton Coun. Aaron Paquette to tweet: "For those who might be worried about pronouncing the potential new ward names … if we can pronounce Saskatchewan, we can do anything."
In British Columbia, a plan in March to use Indigenous names for some communities along the Sunshine Coast was met with backlash.
Peter Robson, president of the Pender Harbour and Area Residents Association, says there was no warning or consultation with non-Indigenous people in the area.
He says his community of Madeira Park was to be renamed "salalus" as part of an agreement between the B.C. government and the Sechelt Nation in 2018.
"One cannot deny that (Sechelt) Nation people lived here before non-Indigenous people. However, there is also a newer history of the land … that too deserves recognition," read Robson's letter to the provincial government.
A more successful project happened in Alberta in September, when a racist and misogynistic nickname for a landmark on Mount Charles Stewart in the Rocky Mountains was removed. Elders chose to bring back the feature's original name: Anu katha Ipa, or Bald Eagle Peak.
Christina Gray, a B.C.-based lawyer and research fellow with the Yellowhead Institute, a First-Nations-led think tank, commends Edmonton's naming project and says she hopes to see other jurisdictions follow.
"This year in particular, we've seen a tidal shift in perspective, especially around problematic figures throughout Canadian history," Gray says.
"It is also changing in so many different countries that have also experienced colonialism and imperialism."
By: Daniela Germano / The Canadian Press published Dec. 25, 2020.
This entry was posted in Contemporary Issues and tagged Canada, Colonialism, Edmonton, Indigenous, News on December 27, 2020 by Red Power Media, Staff.
10 correctional officers charged following death of Indigenous man in N.L. jail
Jonathan Henoche died about a year ago in Her Majesty's Penitentiary, shown in St. John's, N.L. in a 2020 photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sarah Smellie
ST. JOHN'S, N.L — Ten correctional officers have been charged with crimes ranging from manslaughter to criminal negligence causing death in connection with the 2019 death of an Inuk man in a St. John's jail.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary announced the charges in a Tuesday news release that didn't include the officers' identities, when they were arrested or under what conditions they were released.
RNC Const. James Cadigan said in an interview that the correctional officers' identities will not be released until the charges are sworn in court, which he said must happen before Feb. 11, when the 10 officers are due before a judge.
Cadigan said the 10 correctional officers were released under conditions set by police and that they have not received a bail hearing.
The charges follow the death of Jonathan Henoche, a 33-year-old Inuk man from Labrador, who died at Her Majesty's Penitentiary on Nov. 6, 2019, after an alleged altercation with correctional officers. He had been awaiting trial on charges including first-degree murder in relation to the 2016 death of an 88-year-old woman in Labrador.
Shortly after Henoche died, police announced his death was being investigated as a homicide.
Bob Buckingham, a St. John's lawyer representing Henoche's family, said Tuesday it is "abhorrent" the officers have been released under police-imposed conditions and that their names have not been made public.
"I have never seen a case where one individual has been charged with manslaughter and allowed to go home, let alone a cabal of 10 correctional officers charged with the care and custody of an individual be charged like this, and not be brought to court," he said. "It is reprehensible."
Tuesday's news release by police said one correctional officer is charged with manslaughter and failure to provide necessities of life; two officers are charged with manslaughter; and the remaining seven officers are charged with criminal negligence causing death.
The accused range in age from 28 to 51. Two of the officers facing criminal negligence charges are women, both in their 30s.
Since 2019, Buckingham has been calling for a public inquiry into Henoche's death. He said the way this case is being handled brings urgency to the need for a public inquiry.
Jonathan Henoche, 33, was killed inside Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's in November 2019 while awaiting trial for first-degree murder. (Facebook)
The correctional officers, Buckingham said, are being afforded protections and favouritism.
Buckingham said it's "unbelievable" the 10 officers are home under undisclosed conditions.
When asked if it was customary for people facing manslaughter charges to be released on orders to appear in court at a later date, Cadigan said it is "all within the confines of the law, based on the charges."
Robert Hoskins, a St. John's lawyer who had represented Henoche with Buckingham, responded to the RNC news release on Twitter: "As an aboriginal myself, it's hard not to look at this through the lens of systemic racism," he wrote.
Hoskins said that by not releasing the officers' names, police are "offering extra protections that are not usually offered."
"How many aboriginal accused persons get to have their bail hearings deferred on manslaughter charges? Or get to have their names withheld from the media?"
A spokeswoman for the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, which represents corrections officers, said Tuesday it couldn't comment on the case.
By: The Canadian Press, published Dec. 22, 2020.
This entry was posted in Contemporary Issues and tagged Canada, Corrections, Indigenous, Inmate death, Prisons on December 22, 2020 by Red Power Media, Staff.
Canadian military wants to establish new organization to use propaganda, other techniques to influence Canadians
Minister of National Denfence Harjit Sajjan (C) and Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance (R) listen as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) speaks during a news conference January 9, 2020 in Ottawa, Canada. PHOTO BY DAVE CHAN / AFP
The plan comes on the heels of the Canadian Forces spending more than $1 million to train public affairs officers on behaviour modification techniques
The Canadian Forces wants to establish a new organization that will use propaganda and other techniques to try to influence the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of Canadians, according to documents obtained by this newspaper.
The plan comes on the heels of the Canadian Forces spending more than $1 million to train public affairs officers on behaviour modification techniques of the same sort used by the parent firm of Cambridge Analytica, as well as a controversial and bizarre propaganda training mission in which the military forged letters from the Nova Scotia government to warn the public that wolves were wandering in the province.
The new Defence Strategic Communication group will advance "national interests by using defence activities to influence the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of audiences," according to the document dated October 2020. Target audiences for such an initiative would be the Canadian public as well as foreign populations in countries where military forces are sent.
The document is the end result of what Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance has called the "weaponization" of the military's public affairs branch. The document is in a draft form, but work is already underway on some aspects of the plan and some techniques have been already tested on the Canadian public.
But the office of Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Sunday that the plan, at least for now, is not authorized to proceed. Sajjan has raised concerns about some of the activities related to such influence and propaganda operations. "No such plan has been approved, nor will it be," Floriane Bonneville, Sajjan's press secretary, said after being asked by this newspaper about the initiative.
But a series of town halls were already conducted last week for a number of military personnel on the strategies contained in the draft plan.
The report quotes Brig.-Gen. Jay Janzen, director general military public affairs, who stated, "The motto 'who dares, wins' is as applicable to strategic communication as it is to warfare."
The initiative also proposes the creation of a new research capability established to analyze and collect information from the social media accounts of Canadians, non-governmental organizations, industry and the news media, according to the report.
The Canadian Forces have already tested that capability earlier this year. This newspaper reported that a team assigned to a Canadian military intelligence unit monitored and collected information from people's social media accounts in Ontario, claiming such data-mining was needed to help troops who were to work in long-term care homes during the coronavirus pandemic.
That initiative, aimed at people's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, involved collecting comments made by the public about the provincial government's failure to take care of the elderly. That data was then turned over to the Ontario government, with a warning from the team it represented a "negative" reaction from the public.
Military officers see nothing wrong with such collection of data as it is already in the public domain on social media accounts. They concede the team should not have been assigned to military intelligence, but under the new plan it will be controlled by the military's public affairs branch.
But others have questioned how collecting information on the public's views concerning Ontario Premier Doug Ford was even relevant to how the Canadian Forces were to care for elderly residents. In addition, concerns have also been raised on why the military turned over such data to Ford's government and what became of it.
Sajjan requested an investigation be done into the data collection and has also limited at least temporarily some of what the military calls influence activities.
The military, however, noted in the plan that it will consult the federal privacy commissioner before it launches its collection of Canadians' online information.
The public affairs enhancement plan reflects the military leadership's view they can shape and direct the attitudes of Canadians if the right techniques are applied. "Defence StratCom will focus on effects and outcomes among key audiences and will provide clear direction on aligning actions, efforts and resources in pursuit of strategic objectives," the plan added.
Some in the Canadian Forces already attempted to conduct a trial run of such techniques.
This newspaper reported in July the military had planned a propaganda campaign aimed at heading off civil disobedience by Canadians during the coronavirus pandemic. That campaign was to use similar propaganda tactics to those employed against the Afghan population during the war in Afghanistan, including loudspeaker trucks to transmit government messages. The propaganda operation was halted after concerns were raised about the ethics behind such techniques.
The public affairs enhancement plan also calls for harnessing the social media accounts of select Canadian Forces staff to push out pre-approved government and military messages to the public. Although the social media activity would be seen to be coming from the personal accounts of military personnel, it would actually be Canadian Forces public affairs officers behind the scenes crafting and coordinating the messages.
The enhancement plan also calls for improving links to military-friendly academics and retired senior military staff so they can be used to push out approved Canadian Forces messages either on social media or in their interactions with journalists.
Sajjan had originally approved the weaponization of public affairs initiative, started in 2015, along with a separate but significant expansion of military propaganda capabilities for various units. The Liberals outlined in their 2017 defence strategy policy the need for the Canadian military to become more involved in propaganda and information warfare.
But attempts to influence the public haven't always worked out. Last year, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces planned a public relations campaign to counter what bureaucrats and officers believed were false claims that the military had a problem with racists in the ranks. But that plan had to be scuttled after alleged racists and far-right sympathizers with links to military became involved in a series of high-profile incidents, undercutting the message of the PR scheme that the severity of the issue had been exaggerated.
As part of that PR effort, dossiers were created about journalists the military believed would cover the issue of racists in the ranks, including the CBC's Murray Brewster. The dossier about Brewster, who has since broken a number of stories about the far-right in the Canadian Forces, contained transcripts of his interviews with senior military staff and the warning, "He's familiar with the defence system, and his reporting, while factual, often emphasizes the mistakes and shortcoming of DND and the CAF."
Bonneville said the minister did not and will not authorize the creation of the dossiers on journalists. She did not, however, provide an explanation on why the files were created by Canadian Forces staff.
In addition, under Sajjan's watch, an invitation-only Facebook page has been created where serving and retired military and DND public affairs staff share information about journalists. There are more than 400 participants on the Facebook page, which is officially supported by the DND.
By David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen, Published Nov 02, 2020
This entry was posted in Contemporary Issues and tagged CAF, Canada, Canadian forces, News, Propaganda on November 2, 2020 by Red Power Media, Staff.
Canada's largest Indigenous police force has never shot anyone dead
Photo: Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service.
TORONTO — In its 26 years of existence, officers with Canada's largest Indigenous police force have never shot and killed anyone and no officer has died in the line of duty, despite a grinding lack of resources and an absence of normal accountability mechanisms.
It's a record of which the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service is proud, especially in light of the recent uproar in North America over police killings and brutality involving Indigenous, Black, and mentally distressed people. It's a record achieved in communities frequently in social distress, places where hunting rifles and shotguns are ubiquitous.
The key difference from urban, non-Indigenous policing, insiders and observers say, is the relationship building between officers and the people they serve.
"In the past, you might have been the only officer in there," Roland Morrison, chief of NAPS says from Thunder Bay, Ont. "You would have no radio, you've got no backup, so you really effectively have to use your communication and talk to people. You have to develop relationships with the communities in order to have positive policing."
Inaugurated in 1994, NAPS is responsible for policing more than 38,000 people in 34 communities, many beyond remote, across a vast, largely untamed swath of northern Ontario. Currently the service has 203 officers, about 60 per cent of them Indigenous, Morrison says. Its mandate is culturally responsive policing.
Erick Laming, a criminology PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, says people from First Nation communities — many with an ingrained suspicion of police given the brutal realities of generations of enforced residential school attendance — have a higher level of trust when officers are Indigenous.
In contrast, he said, new RCMP recruits with no such background might find themselves in Nunavut or Yukon confronted with significant language and cultural barriers.
"If you're from the community, you have those lived experiences. You can relate to people. You just know how to deal with the issues," says Laming, who is from the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation north of Kingston, Ont.
"If you don't have that history, you can have all the cultural-sensitivity training in the world, you'll never fully be able to fully integrate into that situation."
Another example, he said, is the service in Kahnawake, Que., which calls itself the Kahnawake Peacekeepers rather than a police force.
While all officers in Ontario undergo the same basic training, the province's nine Indigenous police services are fundamentally different from their non-Indigenous counterparts.
For one thing, they are not deemed an essential service, although federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said last month that policing First Nations communities should be. Nor are those in Ontario subject to the provincial Police Services Act, which mandates standards, including for an extensive oversight framework.
Now, the process for filing complaints against members of an Indigenous police force is ad hoc, although NAPS does have a professional standards branch and will on occasion call in Ontario Provincial Police. Officers have been disciplined, charged or even fired for excessive use of force.
Another difference is that Indigenous forces are completely reliant on the vagaries of government program funding — with Ottawa footing 52 per cent of the bill and provinces 48 per cent. The current operations budget for NAPS, for example, is around $37.7 million — more than its peers — with expenses approaching $40 million.
The upshot, particularly in years gone by, has been a dire shortage of officers and even of basic facilities and equipment that urbanites can scarcely imagine. In more than a dozen cases, Indigenous self-administered police services in Canada have simply folded.
Now retired, Terry Armstrong, who spent 22 years with Ontario Provincial Police as well as five years as chief of NAPS, says people would be shocked to find out just how poorly funded First Nations policing has been.
Armstrong recounts how a few years ago, in the Hudson Bay community of Fort Severn, Ont., a NAPS officer found himself dealing with a homicide. Besides having to secure three crime scenes and the body, the lone officer had to arrest the suspect and deal with a separate gun call. Bad weather prevented any forensic or other help flying in until the following day.
One thing he always stressed to newcomers as chief, Armstrong says, is the importance of treating people respectfully.
"Some day, they're going to be your backup. When stuff goes south, you're going to need people to support you," he says. "If you're going to be a dick … when you need help, they aren't going to be there for you."
One frigid afternoon in February 2013, the only on-duty NAPS officer in Kasabonika Lake First Nation in Ontario's far north detained Lena Anderson, an intoxicated young mother upset over the apprehension of her daughter. The new detachment portable was unheated. The old holding cell was unusable because prisoners could escape through holes in the floor.
The arresting officer left Anderson, 23, in the caged back seat of his Ford 150 police truck for warmth while he went to get help from his off-duty colleague. Alone for 16 minutes, Anderson strangled herself.
The tragedy, combined with a threatened strike over working conditions by NAPS officers, caused an uproar. The situation, says Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, prompted his Nishnawbe Aski Nation to take a stand. Governments, he said, had to do better or face the far more daunting prospect of doing the policing themselves.
As a result, Fiddler says, a new funding agreement was reached in 2018 that allowed the hiring of 79 new officers over five years and critical infrastructure upgrades to detachments and poor or non-existent communication systems. Most importantly, he said, the deal set in motion pending Ontario legislation that would finally allow First Nations police services to opt in to the Police Services Act, putting in place solid standards and accountability mechanisms.
"That's something our communities and citizens deserve." Fiddler says. "If they have an issue with NAPS, there should be a forum for them to pursue their grievance."
However, giving investigative authority to the province's Special Investigations Unit or Office of the Independent Police Review Director must come with cultural safety built in, he says.
Stephen Leach, current review director, says his office is not yet involved in the opt-in process.
"My expectation is that once the Community Safety and Policing Act is proclaimed and the opt-in process is further along, then I would be involved in explaining how the public complaints process works, and listening to how it might have to be adapted to meet the needs of First Nations communities," Leach says.
Stephen Warner, a spokesman for Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, confirmed the government was working on regulations to the new act. Part of the work, he said, was to set clear and consistent standards for policing delivery "informed by, and responsive to, the views of the communities that police are both a part of and serve."
Toronto-based lawyer Julian Falconer calls the new legislation a game changer. Despite having devoted much of his career to holding police accountable, he says he has no qualms in representing NAPS.
Despite, or perhaps because of, their chronic lack of resources, Falconer says Indigenous police behave much differently from their urban counterparts. He cites the dearth of police killings and racist behaviours that have sown deep mistrust of policing among Indigenous, Black and marginalized groups.
"Mainstream policing has a lot to learn from Indigenous policing," Falconer said. "The relationship between community and policing is so dramatically different."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 12, 2020
This entry was posted in Contemporary Issues and tagged Canada, Indigenous, Indigenous police force, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, Policing on July 12, 2020 by Red Power Media, Staff.


Pull out those rose-colored glasses. Optimism signals confidence, abilities, perseverance and positive outcomes. These are clearly the traits startup founders need to get their first customers, funding or boost employee morale. Sounds great doesn't it? I can almost hear the applause.
There are two potential problems though. When harsh reality kicks in, the zealous entrepreneur may not even realize it, or casually brush it aside. Secondly, there is such a thing as too much optimism. Potential customers and VCs can see right through that. Really, you plan to launch in a month and you haven't even created a prototype? Or really, the price of the product is less than the cost of its components? The only person you are fooling is YOU!
Find a mentor, advisor or a board of directors who will tell it like it is to keep you grounded in reality!
You have to laugh at your failures on the road to success. Click here to Subscribe to more entrepreneurship comics.
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ASEAN re-triangulating: a note from George Yeo
George Yeo
Senior Advisor, Hong Kong
Ahead of the 32nd ASEAN Summit, Brunswick Geopolitical Principal and former Singaporean Cabinet Minister, George Yeo, looks at the future for ASEAN.
The unity of ASEAN was shaken after the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivered its judgement on South China Sea maritime claims in July 2016. When the Philippines took China to ITLOS for compulsory arbitration in January 2013, it never consulted ASEAN beforehand. It knew ASEAN would not have supported the action. When the award was made, ASEAN countries had no common stance and were badly split. All came under pressure from the US and China to take opposite sides.
When Duterte became President, the Philippines changed tack and decided to work with China. Vietnam, under a new leadership more friendly to China, also shifted. The risk of a balkanized Southeast Asia receded. Since then, the consolidation of power by Xi Jinping in China and the election of Trump in the US are causing ASEAN countries to re-triangulate their position vis-a-vis the major powers. Trump's abandonment of TPP came as a shock.
The people of Southeast Asia have seen the rise of China several times before in their historical memory. They are girding themselves for a new cycle of Asian history. No country in ASEAN wants China as an enemy. China has become or is becoming everyone's number one trading partner. All are competing for Chinese tourists and Chinese investment especially in infrastructure. China's Belt and Road Initiative is viewed as a godsend. The 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party last October and the recent 14th National People's Congress laid out China's plans and hopes for the coming decades. There is a general sense in ASEAN that China's rise is unstoppable and that it is only a matter of time before China becomes the world's biggest economy and once again the dominant power in Asia. For comparison, ASEAN today has about half of China's population and one-fifth its GDP.
The unconventional behavior of Trump is troubling and forcing a recalculation among Southeast Asian countries. Everyone is coming to the conclusion that, for Trump, the approach to foreign policy is largely transactional. Political and trade issues are all to be negotiated as part of a current deal which may be only for the moment. What is more enduring is of course the US military presence in the western Pacific represented by the US Pacific Command. In the last few months, the US has explicitly identified both China and Russia as major revisionist powers. The US military has received the largest military budget in history according to Secretary Mattis and is shifting more forces to the Pacific. The US is openly encouraging the ASEAN countries to stand up to China. They, in turn, want US military forces to remain in the region because that is good for regional stability, but they shudder when there is confrontation between the US and China. They are happy to work with the US on freedom of navigation (which China also supports), but shy away from the often-unstated US objective of bottling China's maritime forces within the first island chain.
No ASEAN country wants to choose between China and the US. Nor do they want China as an enemy and, to the extent that the US does not force a choice between China and the US, everyone wants the US as a friend. Each sees China as its fast growing economic partner, which it is happy with but also want to diversify from. The closer a country is to China, the more that country welcomes non-Chinese trade and investment. China understands this dynamic and has made clear that it does not require any ASEAN country to weaken its economic links to other countries. I remember Premier Zhu Rongji's remarks when the framework agreement for free trade between ASEAN and China was signed in Phnom Penh in 2002. Zhu said that China did not seek for itself an exclusive position in ASEAN. China's conception of AIIB and the Belt and Road Initiative is of an open architecture to which no country is excluded.
ASEAN's ever-closer links to China are therefore an opportunity for American, European, Indian, Japanese and Korean companies to do more business in Southeast Asia. They are naturally welcome. In January this year, Modi invited all ten ASEAN leaders as chief guests for India's Republic Day to mark the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-India relations. All ten ASEAN leaders made it a point to turn up. Instinctively, ASEAN leaders know that the region is more stable when both giant neighbors are friendly to ASEAN and doing well.
There is little danger that ASEAN will ever be in China's pocket. Vietnam has a complex love-hate relationship with China over many centuries. That will never change. Laos and Cambodia are surrounded by larger countries and suffered horribly when the Mekong River divided two worlds. Their deep instinct is to maintain external balance. So, too, Myanmar which is both China's and India's neighbor. The Philippines love-hate relationship with the US will also never change, Duterte notwithstanding. For Muslim Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia), there is always a 'Chinese problem' because of dynamic ethnic Chinese minorities which complicate relations with China. Being three-quarters ethnic Chinese, Singapore is hyper-sensitive to all these forces at play and, being tiny, the most dependent on regional peace and the freedom of navigation.
In an earlier period of Chinese ascendancy, the Malacca sultanate paid tribute to Ming China in return for which it received Ming protection and prospered from the China trade. The leaders of Malacca did not bow to China in their minds however. In the Malay Annals which recorded the history of Malacca, one sultan sent an obsequious letter to the Chinese Emperor who delighted in its subservient tone. Shortly afterwards, the Emperor developed an incurable itch and was told that he was being punished for his arrogance. Court physicians advised that there was no cure except to drink from the foot bath of the Malacca sultan. Accordingly, an emissary was sent to plead from the sultan his used foot bath water which he generously provided. The Emperor drank from it whereupon he was cured and vowed never again to patronize the Malacca sultan. Thereafter, the relationship between China and Malacca was that of equals.
In form, ASEAN leaders show respect and a degree of deference to the major powers but, in their minds, none of them is fully to be trusted and all of them have to be kept in some kind of balance to one another. The key for ASEAN is its internal unity. ASEAN operates not by majority voting but by consensus. Decision-making tends not to be linear but elliptical which may be frustratingly slow to an external observer. Compared to 5 or 10 years ago, however, ASEAN has made great strides. It is certainly the most successful regional grouping in the developing world. The economies of ASEAN are becoming more integrated as physical connections improve, spurred on by multinationals which distribute their investments across different countries in order to maximize comparative advantages. More importantly, the sense of common ASEAN citizenship has grown. With the increasing possibility of trade war between the US and China, many companies are considering relocating or diversifying their investments into ASEAN countries.
After the chastening experience two years ago when ASEAN unity was shaken, there is renewed determination to raft together in waters which can only get choppier. When ASEAN leaders meet in Singapore this month to discuss regional and international issues, they will be re-triangulating their collective position in order to factor in changes in the external power balance. Like a tai chi master, ASEAN does this by subtle shifting of weight so that it stays neutral and omnidirectional. Such an ASEAN is in the interest of all major powers to support. As China becomes more expensive for manufacturing, ASEAN also has a chance to become a major factory for the world by welcoming investments from all quarters. A trade war between the US and China may accelerate this development.
George Yeo is a Senior Advisor at Brunswick Group and Principal in its Geopolitical offer, based from our Hong Kong and Singapore offices. George served in the Singapore Government, as Minister of State for Finance, then as Minister for Information and the Arts, Health, Trade and Industry, and Foreign Affairs (1988 to 2011). These notes are his personal views.
Find out more about Brunswick Geopolitical.
US-UK Relations under Biden
As the world considers what a Joe Biden victory means for them, Anthony Gardner – former US Ambassador to the European Union and Brunswick Group Senior Advisor – looks at the future of US-UK relations and concludes that the bilateral relationship "will not only remain strong but in reality will be stronger" as sovereign interests have rarely been so aligned in a hostile world.
By Anthony Gardner
Familiar Face of Good
In Asia, a centuries-old tradition offers new value for the world. By Tim Payne, Joanna Donne, Daisuke Tsuchiya and Yoichiro Sato.
By Tim Payne
Centuries-old traditions in Asia offer new value. By Tim Payne, Joanna Donne, Daisuke Tsuchiya and Yoichiro Sato.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Projects and Tenders
Adipec 2019: Adnoc awards Bab field EPC contract, invests $490m
Archirodon Construction Overseas to carry out upgradation of the facility to up production capacity to 485,000bpd by 2020
Adnoc Onshore is the operator of Bab onshore field.
by Ranju Warrier
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has announced an investment of $489m (AED1.8bn) to upgrade its Bab onshore field, which is considered as the state-owned oil giant's largest onshore producing assets.
According UAE's state-held news agency, Wam, the investment looks to support Adnoc's first field producing Murban grade crude for long-term crude oil production capacity.
Adnoc Onshore, which is a subsidiary of Adnoc and the operator of the Bab field — located 160km Southeast of Abu Dhabi — has awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to Archirodon Construction Overseas to build the facilities and infrastructure of the field that upon completion will have a capacity to produce 485,000 barrels per day (bpd), up from 420,000bpd by 2020. The million-dollar investment will support the EPC contract.
The contract award was announced on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) and will be carried out under a 39 month-long period.
Scope of work for the Bab field's upgradation includes the development of oil producing wells, water injection wells, artificial lift wells, well bays, let down stations, water injection clusters, in addition to other infrastructure required to sustain the production capacity of the field.
Commenting on the contract award, executive director of Adnoc's upstream directorate, Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, said: "This award follows an extremely competitive and rigorous tender process that ensures that over 75% of the award value will flow into the UAE's economy, stimulating local economic growth and nurturing new business opportunities for the private sector, in line with the leadership's wise directives."
Meanwhile, chief executive officer of Adnoc Onshore, Yaser Saeed Al Mazrouei, said: "The project will enable us to minimise life-cycle costs on the field and will deploy cutting-edge technologies to allow us to progressively and efficiently unlock the full potential of the field's existing assets and wells, while tapping into new reservoirs to sustain long-term production output."
ADNOC ONSHORE
ABU DHABI NATIONAL OIL COMPANY (ADNOC)
OIL AND GAS PROJECTS
London's Penspen picked as project management consultant by Adnoc
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Let's get together tonight at my house. Can't I go and look for them? Since Jesus is an honest person, I like him. I'm ready to proceed. Pria wants to keep marginalized people out of public places. I sent your present today! Cindie was cleared of wrongdoing. How peaceful! I listened to the boring lecture for what seemed an interminable fifty minutes. Ed carefully locked the door.
I'm sure everything'll be OK. We stopped the child from getting into mischief. We can't live another day without water. Society is composed of individuals. I am at a loss what to buy him for his birthday. Dory suggested that I change the lock on my door. I must answer her letter. All the hotels are sold out. I don't know what drives people like him to do this kind of stuff, it's beyond insane! Ralf skipped French class yesterday.
If only we had a garden! Discussions are ongoing. Would you go mention that to Eugene? I need a hacksaw to finish this job. Dan didn't come back until 2:30. I am disappointed. Pieter is the head coach. They made a great tumult last night. I saw them play baseball in the playground. The spacesuits have visors to protect astronauts' eyes from the bright sunlight.
I hope to see you again the next time you're in Boston. Dory will probably never go to Boston again. Jwahar thought it over carefully. Your husband's cheating on you. I ran into Joni the other day. There used to be a large park here. I must admit that I snore. After the rain the sun shines much brighter. It is a little after a quarter to eleven. She's making money hand over fist with the business she started.
Elliott doesn't like controversy. She is incapable of doing anything alone. I hated you at first. Do you think you could describe the man you saw to a sketch artist? Ilya wanted to be accepted. He was looking through a microscope. I want to get to know you. He can do it better than me. This is being done for your safety. These things aren't mine!
I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten all week. Don't you understand what's going on here? I'm having a rough week. This rule doesn't apply to emergencies. The social structure is not much different. Arnold wants to keep things the way they are. I had some custard pudding for an afternoon snack. It will have been raining a week tomorrow. Bill got up so early that he caught the first train. He came back at 5 o'clock.
Patrice has been accused of murdering Toft. Work to live; don't live to work! We are receiving conflicting information about the event. Kent is in Australia right now. That's true not only for children, but also for adults. Morton helped Kolkka move the sofa. Two teas and a coffee, please. Buying such an expensive car is out of the question. Blackbeard formed an alliance of pirates. He wasn't moved after he finished reading this story.
I had to get out of the house. Tell them I'll be ready. She is a true witch! More than one bottle of coke was consumed. We were just in Boston. We've got to find the key. What time does the play begin? He carried a cane. That's what happens when you start working immediately without preparing beforehand. I cannot see the hummingbird, because it is too far away.
He often tries to get rich at a single bound. She telephoned to invite me to her house. That guy's incredible. It is only January and already Easter eggs and Hot Cross Buns are appearing in the shops. Tell me your plans for the future. Jerry thought he had a chance to survive. Allan's speech was full of double entendres, most of which went over his audience's head. There has been an alteration in our plans. They forecast it will be cloudy tomorrow. He awaked me early in the morning.
I saw Mr. Yamada at Shinjuku Station this morning. Good is stronger than evil. I don't want to be presumptuous. The skeleton of Richard III was discovered under a parking lot. How long has it been since you've had a girlfriend? The castle is now in ruins. That's truly how I feel. He left just a moment ago. Your boyfriend is cheating on you. Toerless told me he was going home.


text:
Q: Is it possible to declare a virtual static constant value in a C++ class? I'd like to have a base class that has a constant field (like an unique ID associated with the class that can't be modified after compile time). So far the static const declaration would be just fine. Now, I'd like to inherit this base class and make sure that the children of this class do have the same field, but with their own values. How can I do this?
Let's say, I'd like to have a base class called Base with an ID field that holds the int value of 0. Then, I'd like to have the classes A, B and C, all of them being public children of Base and I'd like to make sure that these children would also have the ID fields with the respective values of 1, 2 and 3 (by 'making sure', I mean something like getting a compiler error if they don't have a ID explicitly declared).
If I could manage to build this scenario, my expectation would be that asking for the ID field of a Base* pointer, I should get different values depending whether the pointer was created as new A(), new B() or new C().
My guess would be to declare ID as virtual static const, which of course doesn't make sense and gives a compiler error.
But then what can I do to achieve the described result? (The only thing that I could imagine would be to declare ID as a virtual function returning an integer and then hard-code the value into the function body, but I'm looking for something more elegant.)
Thank you in advance!

A: A static method cannot be virtual, and no data members can be virtual.
But you can hide static fields in derived classes and use a virtual method to return them.
class A
{
public:
    static const int ID = 0;
    virtual int getID() { return A::ID; }
};
class B : A
{
public:
    static const int ID = 1;
    virtual int getID() { return B::ID; }
};

Alternative:
class A
{
public:
    A(int id = 0) : ID(id) {}
    const int ID;
    getID() { return ID; }
};
class B : public A
{
public:
    B() : A(1) {}
};

A: It would indeed be very useful to have virtual static members in C++. They could easily be added to the language, no new keywords are necessary. The following code for example names shape types for a graphics library:
class Shape {
public:
    static constinit virtual std::string name = delete;
    static constexpr virtual bool closed = delete;
    ...
};

class Circle : public Shape {
public:
    static constinit std::string name override { "circle" };
    static constexpr bool close override { true };
    ...
};

class Line : public Shape {
public:
    static constinit std::string name override { "line" };
    static constexpr bool close override { false };
    ...
};

This declares Shape as an abstract base class, as the construction of Shape::name and Shape::closed are explicitely skipped via = delete.
The space for virtual static members could be allocated in the same VTable, that is already used for virtual function calls. If all virtual static members are constinit (new with C++20) or constexpr, then the VTable can be written to read-only memory, where most compilers write it currently, too. If not, then the VTable has to be placed in read-write memory instead.
In general, virtual static members don't need to be const, they could also be read-write.
Virtual static members could both be accessed with the classname as a prefix (where they will behave like normal static members) or via an object, where the object's VTable pointer will be used to access the right VTable.
As long, as they are not in the standard, they can be emulated using virtual functions, that return a reference to a local static variable:
virtual const std::string& get_name() const {
    static const std::string name { "circle" };
    return name;
}

In case, that a derived class does not override the static member (respectively the virtual getter function), the semantics between the real virtual static members and the emulated virtual static members are a bit different: The real virtual static member between parent and child class would actually refer to different instances of that object, with the constructor called for the parent and each child, which doesn't override the virtual static member. But the emulated getter function would always return a reference to exactly the same object. On read-only virtual static members, this shouldn't make a difference (unless the constructor actually initializes each instance differently), but on read-write virtual static members, updating them would make a difference.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Do you want to give psychological training to children? Do you want to become a career or mental counselor in the future? If you want to become a counselor of mental health and intelligence level, then you can think of studying B.Ed Educational & Mental Measure. Find out the details over here.
If you want to become a mentor in career and mental guidance, you need a professional one year course for that. There are quite a number of courses in this regard. If a student wishes to become a teacher and a mentor for young generation, then you should think of this B.Ed. course in Educational & Mental Measure. You will be given actual classes in schools. You will have to prove that you can deal with the psychology of students and can address their problems. You will not only be solving the problems from their book, but you will also be addressing the problems of their life. You will be taught the techniques of teaching students. You will also be taught how to patiently listen to the problems of children. You will learn to assess the intelligence level of students with the help of various kinds of problems and exercises.
Find the list of colleges offering B.Ed Educational & Mental Measure course. Check out individual college websites to know more about the admission for 2019 - 2020 academic year. You may download the application form and course details from the official college website.
The students should pass their graduation before opting for this course. Generally, the restriction is that the undergraduate courses should either be completed in arts or science stream. A student from either of these streams will benefit the most.
Those who wish to study this course must complete their graduation with minimum 50% marks. There is no age bar for studying this B.Ed. course.
Some institutes allow students to study this course only if, they have a work experience in any school for at least 3 years.
The students applying for this course will be further shortlisted on the basis of an entrance examination. The university itself will conduct an entrance examination. All the candidates appearing for the examination must get a minimum of 50% marks in that test.
You can become a school teacher after this course. Your job will not only be to teach the students in classes, but also assess their mental condition by listening to their problems.
You can also become a mental counselor in a private company. Your job will be to listen to the problems of the employees and suggest feasible solutions to them. You will also have to make reports about the employees and submit it to the HR department.
After a few years of experience, you can become an HR executive. Your job will be to look after the current employee requirement of the company and publish job vacancy advertisements accordingly.
After around 15 years of experience, you can become an HR manager.
Are you looking for admissions for B.Ed Educational & Mental Measure for the academic year 2019 - 2020? We can connect you with the right colleges and universities offering B.Ed Educational & Mental Measure courses in your preferred locations. Contact us for more details.


Framing your photographs can be more expensive that you might initially think. If you've shopped around for custom framing, you will be pleased to find that you can save a considerable amount of money by having your photographs and fine artwork professionally framed by us. We can usually save you at least 50% off the price of many local retailers. We simply have lower overhead prices and are able to pass along the savings to you!
We use conservation quality mounting and matting materials from the finest moulding, matting and glazing suppliers. We buy uncut bulk matting and moulding from local or regional vendors ensuring you receive the very best prices possible. As the person framing your photographs is also likely the artist that created them, extra special care is taken that can never be provided by a chain store employee or even another professional framer.
Ask us about providing framing for your next portrait session. Here are some examples from our current offerings.
To schedule an appointment, please call us anytime at 720-897-6290 (studio) or 720-530-6290 (mobile) or just click on the "calendar" link below and schedule a convenient time for you.


text:
The Greany Building is a historic mixed-use commercial and residential building located at 1270–1288 Pleasant Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Description and history
It is a large four-story brick building designed in a vernacular late Victorian commercial style. The building was constructed in 1891 for Thomas Greany, who operated a dry goods retail operation in part of the first floor, while the upstairs housed 15 residential units. In 1896, Rinfret Bros., a clothier, occupied part of the premises. The building is one of Fall River's finest surviving 19th-century commercial buildings.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1983.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Fall River, Massachusetts

References

Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Fall River, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Fall River, Massachusetts

Buildings and structures completed in 1891
Victorian architecture in Massachusetts

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Although Nadia & I have both been to Leoda's before, it's hard to resist their pies, so we stopped in for a quick bite.
The Turkey Pot Pie consisted of in house roasted turkey, turkey gravy, carrot, onions, celery, and potato. It was yummy!
I loved the pie too. Banana Cream Pie is my favorite kind of pie, and Leoda's banana cream is absolutely delish.
Whether you're in the mood for something sweet or savory, stop at Leoda's!


These all-natural candles are made using a centuries-old method. Hung on a large carousel, the wicks are then hand-bathed with layer upon layer of high-grade paraffin. Their warm honey color is a result of amber melted directly into the wax and the gold logo makes them glow from within, flaking like confetti into the candles as they burn. Votives sold as a set of 4. Each measures approximately 2 x 2 inches. Made in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It's the holidays, and police say that means thieves are keeping a close eye on you.
Officer Dewayne Richardson of JSO said some neighborhoods have seen a higher number of home break-ins. It's something he said is probably related to the holidays.
"There's a chance of opportunity for the suspect to say 'Hey, I may want to break in this house and get some of those electronics,'" Richardson said.
Richardson made several recommendations for citizens to stay safe during the holiday season.
First, be aware of your surroundings, and keep an eye out for strange cars in your neighborhood.
Also, pay attention to people walking around your neighborhood because Richardson said it's possible that "they are checking places they can break into."
If you buy electronics, Richardson said don't leave the empty boxes outside your home when you dispose of them. "Cut these boxes up and put them inside of a plastic bag, instead of setting it on the side, because when that bad guy wants to break into your home, he has a reason."
Richardson also urged those with home alarm systems to test their systems and make sure they're working properly.


text:
Home Podcast 2018 Highlight: Blues Victory Typified Pros and Cons of Dean Smith's Villa...
2018 Highlight: Blues Victory Typified Pros and Cons of Dean Smith's Villa Approach
The Second City derby in its Championship incarnation had become a bit of a snore fest for the neutral. Its appeal had experienced lessening interest beyond the West Midlands to such an extent that Sky TV didn't even bother screening that 1-0 Villa Park win when Gabby scored the winner with the only Villa shot on target.
This season's eventful 4-2 victory for Villa though, certainly put the spark back into the fixture.
The 4-2
Birmingham City had entered the fixture in decent form under Gary Monk, who had finally managed to turn draws into wins and had seen them punch above their weight to switch into play-off form.
Villa had entered the game off the back of an impressive 3-0 win at Derby, which chalked up back-to-back wins for the new Villa Head Coach, Dean Smith.
During the Villa Park game in which the Blues drew first blood, we saw the spectrum of what Smith brings to the table. Villa were caught out on the counter, yet at the other end could be an irresistible force going forward.
Goals, Goals, Goals – For & Against
In their four games against Derby, Blues, Forest and Middleborough, Villa scored a more than impressive 15 goals. All their opponents were top half teams with ambitions of at least the play-off places.
The Blues derby though showed up the big weakness of both the personnel in Villa's backline and also how suspect Villa are to the counter due to their attacking focus.
It started a period of six games, where in five of them Villa conceded at least two goals in. A stat that swiftly suggests Villa won't get promoted this season, if it continues.
The recent 2-2 draw with QPR and many of the Forest goals in the 5-5, were further of evidence of Villa being carved open on the counter all too easily.
Right Philosophy?
While many of us applaud Dean Smith gung-ho attitude, is it somewhat naive in terms of gaining promotion?
"My philosophy is this : 1-0, 2-0 or 5-0 up: never ever settle for it, you must be hungry for more," said Smith, earlier in the season.
"If you do sit back not only are you inviting the opposition to get back into the game but you are showing them mercy. You have to look at the bigger picture, I don't only want us to destroy our current opponent's. I want to breed fear into our next ones."
People often celebrate Smith's playing style at his former clubs, but few mention the fact he's never finished higher than 9th in any league. Are the two factors connected?
Or is it just a case of getting in better defensive personnel?
Time will tell in the remainder of the season.
In the meantime, if you missed it the first time (I didn't get round to doing a post for this episode), MOMS also had an alternative experience of watching the Second City derby.
It involved an early wake-up call to be present at 7am to shadow the West Midlands Police Football unit on duty to see how they handled one of the most difficult football matches in the UK.
When it came to the game, MOMS spent most of the second-half on a control tower balcony overlooking the Holte, which was a novel experience.
In the below episode of the My Old Man Said podcast, MOMS discusses the day from its unique POV and the pros and cons of the match itself.
Episode 57.5 Show Notes
A somewhat alternative take on the latest Second City Derby. From Rio to Moseley, from shadowing the police to discovering away fan cabbages, and viewing Villa's glory on the pitch from an iron balcony overlooking the Holte End, we look back at an eventful Second City derby.
My Old Man Said's David Michael is joined by Dan Rodgers and Chris Budd to discuss a true turning point in Aston Villa's season, as Dean Smith's team proves their resurgence is for real.
And, as usual, there's plenty of laughs along the way.
Listen to MOMS Podcast on Spotify
If you want the show to continue and be more frequent and get access to bonus podcasts, please do support the show by becoming a MOMS Patron. You will get bonus patron-only episodes, advanced sneaks and also get entered into regular reward draws. More details and to become a Patron, click here: Join MOMS Patrons
Or become a MOMS supporter on Facebook.
David Michael – @oldmansaid
Dan Rodgers – @avfc_vilr
Chris Budd – @BUDD_music
Producer/Editor – David Michael
My Old Man Said – https://www.myoldmansaid.com
Villa Underground – http://www.villaunderground.com


Apple has been toying with a heads-up display or video glasses since 2006 and they've already been granted a patent for their invention. Then earlier this month Apple's video glasses project won a surprising second patent which we covered in our report titled "Apple's Special Project for a Video Telephonic Headset Wins a Second Patent." Today, the US Patent Office published a new patent application from Apple regarding a future heads-up display that focuses on delivering Retina Display like quality to a smaller display that's powered by a much smaller battery than an iPhone. While today's patent fills a need in Apple's video glasses project it has to be one of the driest reads of the year. For those interested in the finer details of this invention, check out Apple's latest patent application titled " Display Resolution Increase with Mechanical Actuation."
Although Apple's patent application presents this oddball heads-up display graphic, one has to bear in mind that this isn't a design patent. In a patent application, Apple isn't obligated to reveal the end product that will make its way to market. The graphic simply represents a "generic" heads-up display concept, period. We all know that Jony Ive and his legendary team of industrial designers will work night and day to come up with the coolest design in its class whenever the time is right to bring this to market.
And lastly, Apple also notes in their filing that "other embodiments may take the form of other types of display devices such as television sets, computer monitors, projection systems, and so forth."
MacSurfer, Twitter, Facebook, Apple Investor News, Google Reader, Macnews, iPhone World Canada, uFollow, VK Russia, Robert Croak, Gopego Indonesia, Scoop.it!, Blognone Thailand, 9to5 Mac, Ubergizmo, Gizmodo UK, Gizmodo US, Gizmodo Brazil, Phandroid, Games Alfresco and phoneArena.
Techmeme, ZDNet, Aberto ate de Madrugada Portugal, MobileEntertainment, InvestorPlace, iClub Portugal, Geek News Brazil, Techmundo Brazil,SlashGear, The Next Web, BetaBeat, 36 Korea, Apfelpage Germany, CNET Update (video), CrazyEngineers, New Mobile Life China, iDownloadBlog, and more.


text:
Prayer is an attempt to communicate with a deity or deities; prayer in western civilization is usually directed to God.
There are a variety of approaches to understanding prayer:
* The belief that a god listens to prayer, and may or may not respond;
* The belief that prayer is intended to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, rather than to influence a god;
* The belief that prayer is intended to train a person to focus on a god through philosophy and intellectual contemplation;
* The belief that prayer is intended to enable a person to gain a direct experience of a god;
* The belief that prayer is intended to affect the very fabric of reality itself.
The existence of prayer is attested in written sources as early as 5000 years ago. Anthropologists believe that the earliest intelligent modern humans practised something that we would recognize today as prayer.
__Biblical views of prayer__
The Bible contains many examples of prayer and various instructions and teachings about prayer. The book of Psalms is composed of prayers, song verses and poems by various authors, and some of its prayers in particular have been used by Jews and Christians for years, in corporate prayer and individual prayer, and used both verbatim and as inspiration for new prayers and songs
__Prayer in the Hebrew Bible__
The neglect of prayer is grievous to the Lord (Isa. 43:21-22; 64:6-7). Many evils in life are to be attributed to the lack of prayer (Zeph. 1:4-6; Dan. 9:13, 14, cf. Hosea 7:13-14; 8:13-14). It is a sin to neglect prayer (1 Sam. 12:23).
In the life of the patriarch Abraham prayer seems to have taken the form of a and man drawing near and talking to each other (Gen. 18; 19); developing into intercession (Gen. 17:18; 18:23, 32), and then into personal prayer (Gen. 15:2; 24:12); Jacob, (Gen. 28:20; 32:9-12, 24; Hosea 12:4). The patriarchal blessings are called prayers (Gen 49:1; Deut. 33:11).
Not very much prominence is given to formal prayer during the period of the Law. Deut. 26:1-15 seems to be the only one definitely recorded. Prayer had not yet found a stated place in the ritual of the law. It seems to have been more of a personal than a formal matter, and so while the Law may not afford much material, yet the life of the lawgiver, Moses, abounds with prayer (Exod. 5:22; 32:11; Num. 11:11-15).
Under Joshua (7:6-9; 10:14), and the judges (c. 6) we are told that the children of Israel "cried unto the Lord."
Under Samuel prayer seems to have assumed the nature of intercession (1 Sam. 7:5, 12; 8:16-18); personal (1 Sam. 15:11, 35; 16:1). In Jeremiah (15:1) Moses and Samuel are represented as offering intercessory prayer for Israel.
David seems to regard himself as a prophet and priest, and prays without an intercessor (2 Sam. 7:18-29).
The prophets seem to have been intercessors, e.g., Elijah (1 Kings 18). Yet personal prayers are found among the prophets (Jer. 20--both personal and intercessory; 33:3; 42:4; Amos 7).
In the Psalms prayer takes the form of a pouring out of the heart (42:4; 62:8; 100:2, title). The psalmist does not seem to go before God with fixed and orderly petitions so much as simply to pour out his feelings and desires, whether sweet or bitter, troubled or peaceful. Consequently the prayers of the psalmist consist of varying moods: complaint, supplication, confession, despondency, praise.
True prayer consists of such elements as adoration, praise, petition, pleading, thanksgiving, intercession, communion, waiting. The closet into which the believer enters to pray is not only an oratory --a place of prayer, it is an observatory--a place of vision. Prayer is not "A venture and a voice of mine; but a vision and a voice divine." Isa. 63:7; 64:12, illustrates all essential forms of address in prayer.
The book of Psalms is composed of prayers, song verses and poems by various authors, and some of its prayers in particular have been used by Jews and Christians for years, in corporate prayer and individual prayer, and used both verbatim and as inspiration for new prayers and songs.
__Prayer in the New Testament__
To pray is a positive command (Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17); One is commanded to take leisure or a vacation for prayer (1 Cor. 7:5). Prayer is God's appointed method of obtaining what He has to bestow (Dan. 9:3; Matt. 7:7-11; 9:24-29; Luke 11:13). The lack of the necessary blessings in life comes from failure to pray (James 4:2). The Christian apostles regarded prayer as the most important employment that could engage their time or attention (Acts 6:4; Rom. 1:9; Col. 1:9).
__Prayer as petition__
In the Hebrew Bible various forms of prayer appear; the most common form is petition. This in many ways is the simplest form of prayer. Some have termed this the "social approach" to prayer. In this view, a person directly confronts God in prayer, and asks for their needs to be fulfilled; God really does listen to prayer, and may or may not choose to answer. This is the primary approach to prayer found in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, most of the Church writings, and the Talmud.
This "petition approach" to prayer is supported for example by Matthew 21:22, where Jesus is reported as saying "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Also "the way to my father is through me"
Most modern day prayerbooks by monotheistic religions contain many prayers that were originally written as petitions. However, many modern believers may recite the same prayers with a different understanding of prayer (see below) in mind.
__Prayer in Eastern Religions__
The religion of Buddhism, well known for being non-theistic, utterly discards worship and places devotional emphasis on the practice of meditation alongside scriptural study. Although God and deities are recognized as present, Gautama Buddha claims it is mankind who by their own free will, possess the greatest capacity and potential to liberate themselves and are urged to do so without exterior assistance. Therefore, prayer is not as central to devotion as in its neighbouring asiatic faiths.
In religions such as Hinduism and Jainism, prayer has a greater significance and role for salvation. Hindus in India have numerous devotional movements. Stemming from the highest Creator God called Brahma, prayer is focused on His many manifestations, including the most popular deities Shiva, Vishnu, Rama and Krishna. Although Jains believe that no spirit or divine being can assist them on their path, they do hold some influence, and on special occasions, Jains will pray and meditate for right knowledge to the twenty-four Tirthankaras (saintly teachers).
__Prayer in Paganism__
In Graeco-Roman Paganism, ceremonial prayer was highly formulaic and ritualized. The Iguvine Tables contain a supplication that can be translated, "If anything was said improperly, if anything was done improperly, let it be as if it were done correctly."
The formalism and formulaic nature of these prayers led them to be written down in language that may have only been partially understood by the writer, and our texts of these prayers may in fact be garbled. Prayers in Etruscan were used in the Roman world by augurs and other oracles long after Etruscan became a dead language. The Carmen Arvale and the Carmen Saliare are two specimens of partially preserved prayers that seem to have been unintelligible to their scribes, and whose language is full of archaisms and difficult passages.
Roman prayers and sacrifices were often envisioned as legal bargains between deity and worshipper. The Roman formula was do ut des: "I give, so that you may give in return." Cato the Elder's treatise on agriculture contains many examples of preserved traditional prayers; in one, a farmer addresses the unknown deity of a possibly sacred grove, and sacrifices a pig in order to placate the God or Goddess of the place and beseech his or her permission to cut down some trees from the grove.
__Philosophical re-interpretations of prayer__
Post-Biblical theologians considered the philosophical problems involved in prayer (see below). Over time a number of re-interpretations of prayer evolved. These were developed in great detail by the medieval neo-Platonic and neo-Aristotelian philosophers, and have influenced how many people still pray today. At the moment, the descriptions below list some Jewish sources, but each of these views of prayers also has Christian and Muslim proponents as well; there was much intellectual cross-fertilization between Jews, Christians and Muslims during parts of the middle-ages, and so there appears to be some convergence among the philosophers of that era.
__The educational approach__
In this view, prayer is not a conversation with God. Rather, it is meant to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, but not to influence God. Among Jews, this has been the approach of Rabbenu Bachya, Yehuda Halevy, Joseph Albo, Samson Raphael Hirsch, and Joseph Dov Soloveitchik. This view is expressed by Rabbi Nosson Scherman in the overview to the Artscroll Siddur (p.XIII); note that Scherman goes on to also affirm the Kabbalistic view (see below). Among Christian theologians...(please add examples here) Among Muslim theologians....(please add examples here).
__The Kabbalistic view of prayer__
People involved with kabbalah (esoteric Jewish mysticism) often reject rationalist reinterpreations of prayer outright, but they also reject the social approach, in which prayer is viewed as a Dialogue with God. Instead, this approach ascribes a higher meaning to the purpose of prayer, which is no less than affecting the very fabric of reality itself, restructuring and repairing the universe in a real fashion. For Kabbalists, every prayer, every word of every prayer, and indeed, even every letter of every word of every prayer, has a precise meaning and a precise effect. In Kabbalah and related mystical belief systems, adherents claim intimate knowledge about the way in which God relates to us and the physical universe in which we live. For people with this view, prayers can literally affect the mystical forces of the universe and repair the fabric of creation.
Among Jews, this approach has been taken by the Hassidei Ashkenaz, the Zohar, the Kabbalist school of though created by the Ari, the Ramchal, most of Hassidism, the Vilna Gaon, and rabbis such as Yaakov Emden and Kalonimus Shapira. In the 1800s some European Christians were influenced by Kabbalah...(please add information here)
__The rationalist approach__
In this view, ultimate goal of prayer is to help train a person to focus on God through philosophy and intellectual contemplation. This approach was taken by Maimonides and the other medieval rationalists; it became popular in Jewish, Christian and Islamic intellectual circles, but never became the most popular understanding of prayer among the laity in any of these faiths. In all three of these faiths today a significant minority of people still hold to this approach.
__The experiential approach__
In this approach, the purpose of prayer is to enable the person praying to gain a direct experience of God. This approach is very significant in Christianity and widespread in Judaism (although less popular theologically). In Eastern Orthodoxy, this approach is known as hesychasm. It is also widespread in Sufi Islam, and in some forms of mysticism. It has some similarities with the rationalist approach, since it can also involve contemplation, although the contemplation is not generally viewed as being as rational or intellectual. It also has some similarities with the Kabbalistic view, but it lacks the Kabbalistic emphasis on the importance of individual words and letters.
__Prayer practices__
The actual act of praying can take on many different outward forms. Most religions or religious subgroups have certain forms that they recommend, usually more than one; occasionally, there may be specific forms that are forbidden. Prayer may be done privately and individually, or it may be done corporately in the presence of fellow believers. Some outward acts that sometimes accompany prayer are: ringing a bell; burning incense or paper; lighting a candle or candles; facing a specific direction, i.e. towards Mecca or towards the East.
A variety of body postures may be assumed, often with specific meaning associated with them: standing; sitting; kneeling; prostrate on the floor; eyes opened; eyes closed; hands folded or clasped; hands upraised; and others. Prayers may be recited from memory, read from a book of prayers, or composed spontaneously as they are prayed. They may be said, chanted, or sung. They may be with musical accompaniment or not. There may be a time of outward silence while prayers are offered mentally. Often, there are prayers to fit specific occasions, such as the blessing of a meal, the birth or death of a loved one, other significant events in the life of a believer, or days of the year that have special religious significance.
__Jewish prayer__
Prayers said by Jews are described in the entry on Jewish services. The prayers of the Jewish services are collected in a prayerbook called the Siddur. The entry on the siddur describes the different types of Jewish prayerbooks and how they have evolved over time.
The most imporant Jewish prayers are the Shema Yisrael ("Hear O Israel") and the Amidah ("the standing prayer").
__Christian prayer__
Orthodox Christianity, Catholic Christianity and the many branches of Protestant Christianity each have distinctive liturgies. Some of the more commonly recited Christian prayers include the following:
* Lord's Prayer – Psalms -- Book of Common Prayer – Jesus Prayer
* Traditional prayer aids include the rosary and the prayer rope.
* Prayer to saints: in Catholic and Orthodox tradition, prayers of petition may be addressed to saints. It is understood that the saints answer such prayers by means of their own prayers to God on behalf of the petitioner.
__Islamic Prayer__
Muslims pray a brief prayer service in Arabic, facing Mecca, five times a day. (More to be written.). The Call for prayer is called Azaan.
__Bahá'í Prayer__
Baha'is are required to recite each day one of three obligatory prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah. The believers have been enjoined to face in the direction of the Qiblih when reciting their Obligatory Prayers.
One, the longest obligatory prayer, may be recited at any time of day; another, of medium length, is recited once in the morning, once at midday, and once in the evening; and the shortest is recited at noon. This is the text of the short prayer:
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Baha'is also read from and meditate on the scriptures every morning and evening. There are also many other revealed prayers in the Baha'i scriptures, most for general use at the choice of the individual and some for specific occasions.
In the past 200 years a new form of prayer has emerged among Christians, called praying in tongue (see Glossolalia). According to adherents of this practice, the Holy Spirit comes into the body of the prayer and speaks on the Christian's behalf in a celestial language. The person praying will later deny any knowledge of what they said while praying.
__Philosophical paradoxes of prayer__
There are a number of philosophical paradoxes involving prayer to an omnipotent God, namely:
* If a person deserves God to give him the thing he prays for, why doesn't God give it to him, even without prayer? And if a person is not deserving of it, then even if that person does pray and request it, should it be given just because of his prayer?
* Why should it be necessary to pray with speech? Doesn't God know the thoughts of all people?
* If God is omniscient (all-knowing) then doesn't God know what we are going to ask Him for even before we pray?
* How can a human being hope to change God's mind? Why should human prayers affect God's decisions?
* Do human beings actually have the ability to praise an omniscient and omnipotent God? Praising God is difficult to do without describing God, yet how can a finite human being know anything about God's ultimate nature? This question was the subject of heated debate among many religious philosophers; one such debate took place in the 14th century between Gregory Palamas and Barlaam of Calabria.
These questions have been discussed in Jewish, Christian and Muslim writings from the medieval period onward. The 900s to 1200s saw some of the most fertile discussion on these questions, during the period of Neo-Platonic and Neo-Aristotelian philosophy. Discussion of these problems never ceased entirely, but they did fall mostly from the public view for several centuries, until The Enlightenment reignited philosophical inquiry into theological issues.
All of these questions have been discussed in many Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious texts. Many of these texts offer proposed resolutions to some or all of these paradoxes.
__Prayer and Medicine__
Several studies have claimed that patients who pray for their health or are being prayed for recover faster. Critics have attributed this to the placebo effect. Typically, the scientific establishment ignores studies of the occult and esoteric, but in 1999, media reports on prayer studies prompted a comprehensive review of such studies in The Lancet. The result: "Even in the best studies, the evidence of an association between religion, spirituality, and health is weak and inconsistent." A 2001 double-blind study of the Mayo Clinic found no significant difference in the recovery rates between people who were (unbeknownst to them) assigned to a group that prayed for them (five people praying once a week for 26 weeks), and those who were not. In 2003, a second MANTRA study by Duke University contradicted the first MANTRA study's findings that intercessory prayer improved recovery rates in heart patients.
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Authentic relationship is a place where people share their experiences at a heart to heart level and help each other in reciprocal ways. It is a place where they can get honest about who they are and what is going on in their lives. It is a space where they can reveal their feelings, hurts, doubts, fears, and weaknesses as well as find mercy, be forgiven and ask for help. It is a space where allowances are made for their imperfections.Adidas Yeezy shoes
Universe Spirit Principle


text:
The Theory of Storage describes features observed in commodity markets:

When available supplies of the commodity in question are high, and the working inventories of commercial consumers of that commodity are accordingly held to a minimum,
 Futures prices tend to be in contango
 The volatility of spot and futures prices tend to be low, and futures premiums rise to the full cost of storage

When supplies are tight, and purchasing managers build production inventory levels to ensure availability,
 Futures prices tend toward backwardation
 The volatility of cash and the nearby futures prices rises with respect to that of the more distant futures contracts

The theory of storage was originally developed and described by Holbrook Working in 1933. It was extended by Nicholas Kaldor in 1939 (who introduced the notion of convenience yield), by Brennan in 1958 (who estimated demand and supply curves for storage), by Weymar in 1968 (who related convenience yield to the probability of inventory stockout) and by Schwartz in 1997 (modeling the yield as a mean-reverting stochastic process).

References

Economic theories


text:
Allena la . Giocava nel ruolo di universale.

Carriera

Giocatore
La carriera di Aldis Berzins inizia, a livello universitario, con .

Dedicandosi successivamente esclusivamente alla nazionale statunitense, con cui vincerà una medaglia d'oro ai Giochi olimpici, una medaglia d'oro alla Coppa del Mondo e una medaglia d'argento ai campionati nordamericani.

Nella stagione 1986-87 approda in Italia, nel , con cui vince una coppa CEV; nella stagione 1988-89 passa alla .

La stagione seguente gioca per il , con cui chiuderà la sua carriera nel volley giocato.

Si ritira dalla pallavolo giocata nel 1990.

Allenatore
Inizia la sua carriera di allenatore facendo l'assistente di Doug Beal nel  per due stagioni e, dal 1993, per la nazionale statunitense femminile.

Dal 2016 allena nel  e la .

Palmarès

Giocatore

Club

1986-87

Premi Individuali
 1977 - Division I NCAA statunitense: All-Tournament Team
 1978 - Division I NCAA statunitense: All-Tournament Team
 1984 - Giochi Olimpici: Miglior ricevitore
 1985 - Coppa del Mondo: Miglior difensore

Collegamenti esterni

Vincitori di medaglia d'oro olimpica per gli Stati Uniti d'America


Check out the ¡Viva Vaquita! La Tienda at http://www.printfection.com/vivavaquita! This great store features a wide range of tops, mugs, mousepads, ornaments, hats, bags, and bottles with various ¡Viva Vaquita! logos and illustrations. Besides the wonderful quality of the products, all of the profits go to the Monterey Bay Chapter of the American Cetacean Society, a non-profit organization. This is the best way to donate, and the best way to buy Vaquita items. Happy shopping!


Mathematical models of the transmission dynamics of scrapie are used to explore the expected course of an outbreak in a sheep flock and the potential impacts of different control measures. All models incorporate sheep demography, a long and variable scrapie incubation period, horizontal and vertical routes of transmission and genetic variation in susceptibility. Outputs are compared for models which do and do not incorporate an environmental reservoir of infectivity, and which do and do not incorporate carrier genotypes. Numerical analyses using parameter values consistent with available data indicate that, in a closed flock, scrapie outbreaks may have a duration of several decades, reduce the frequency of susceptible genotypes, and may become endemic if carrier genotypes are present. In an open flock, endemic scrapie is possible even in the absence of carriers. Control measures currently or likely to become available may reduce the incidence of cases but may be fully effective only over a period of several years.
Woolhouse, M.E.J., Stringer, S.M., Matthews, L., Hunter, N., and Anderson, R.M.


Six of the 2018 top 8 finalists in the 200 IM return to the 2019 championships, amongst them is Stanford's Ella Eastin, looking to make history in this event. Eastin aims to defend her 2018 IM title, and with Kathleen Baker now pro, it looks to be a clear advantage. With Eastin's choice to swim non-discipline events at Pac-12s (500 FR/400 IM/200 BK), it gave her the opportunity to shift focus on individual strokes. With Eastin's only competitor is the clock, a sub-1:50 IM will most likely be in her sights.
SEC rivals Meghan Small (Tennessee) and Sydney Pickrem (Texas A&M) will face off once again in the battle for second place. At the 2019 SEC Championships, Pickrem was dethroned of her 2018 title and SEC record by Small. However, Small had the non-traditional strategy of skipping both of her breaststroke pullouts during the race. Although Pickrem still had the faster breaststroke split of the two, it wasn't enough to take down Small. The NCAA final will be the ultimate test of Small's bold strategy over Pickrem's experienced breaststroke/IM.
On the psychs this year is USC's butterfly-star Louise Hansson. However, last year, Hansson scratched her 16th-seeded 200 IM time from prelims. Hansson's 200 IM looks much better this year after breaking her 2-year-old PB of 1:53.72 with a 1:52.50 at the 2019 PAC-12s.
In 2018, Michigan's Siobhan Haughey and Wisconsin's Beata Nelson were seeded 1:53.48 and 1:53.85, respectively. While Nelson only dropped 0.03 seconds, she secured her spot in the top 8. On the other hand, Haughey gained to a 1:55.01, causing her to finish 10th in prelims. Haughey has had more top 16 appearances than Nelson, who had major improvements from 2017 to 2018. Currently, Nelson (1:52.27) and Haughey (1:52.36) are seeded 4th and 5th this year.
A similar situation happened in 2018 with Indiana's Bailey Andison and South Carolina's Emily Barksdale. Both swimmers were entered less than two-tenths apart, however, Barksdale's prelims swim bumped her out of the 2018 top 8. In their 2 other NCAA appearances, Andison finalled both years while Barksdale finished out of the top 16. This year, Andison and Barksdale are seeded with the same #6 seed of 1:53.27.
Lurking in 11th on the psychs is the 6th member of the 2018 top 8, Kentucky's Asia Seidt. Seidt is currently entered with a 1:54.37, however, her personal best is a 1:53.04. Seidt was top 8 finalist in both of her previous NCAA appearances, but in 2018 Seidt gained and finished in 7th. Her 2018 entry time could have placed 4th if she maintained it.
Dark Horses: Freshmen Vanessa Pearl (Florida) and Isabel Ivey (Cal) made massive improvements in their 200 IM times from high school to their collegiate debut seasons. Both swimmers dropped nearly 2 seconds from their HS personal bests at their respective conference meets. While not particularly known for their IM events, if the freshmen were to continue their rises in times, they could make a huge impact on the upperclassmen-heavy event.


text:
History/
Historical Documents/
Hawaiian Sesquicentennial Commemorative Coin Legislation
PUBLIC—NO. 98—70TH CONGRESS
H.R. 81
An Act To authorize the coinage of silver 50-cent pieces in commemoration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands by Captain James Cook, and for the purpose of aiding in establishing a Captain James Cook memorial collection in the archives of the Territory of Hawaii.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in commemoration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands by Captain James Cook, and for the purpose of aiding in establishing a Captain James Cook memorial collection in the archives of the Territory of Hawaii, there shall be coined in the mints of the United States silver 50-cent pieces to the number of ten thousand, such 50-cent pieces to be of a standard troy weight, composition, diameter, and design as shall be fixed by the director of the mint and approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, which said 50-cent pieces shall be legal tender in any payment of their face value.
SEC. 2. The coins herein authorized shall be issued only upon the request of the Cook Sesquicentennial Commission of Hawaii and in such numbers and at such times as they shall request upon payment by such commission to the United States of the par value of such coins.
SEC. 3. All laws now in force relating to the subsidiary silver coins of the United States and the coining or striking of the same, regulating and guarding the process of coinage, providing for the purchase of material, and for the transportation, distribution, and redemption of the coins, for the prevention of debasement or counterfeiting, for security of the coin or for any other purpose, whether said laws are penal or otherwise, shall, so far as applicable, apply to the coinage herein authorized: Provided, That the United States shall not be subject to the expense of making the necessary dies and other preparation of this coinage.
Approved, March 7, 1928.
Content last updated on March 27, 2017
Half Dollar (50-Cent Piece)
Mint History


Our enclosure expertise extends past pools, porches, patios and pet doors. Just as well as our rescreening skills are not only for residential homes. When you own a commercial property like a business, a store, a market or an office building everything that we offer here on this webpage is also available to commercial property owners. The technicians that we have working for us have been doing this for years. They are trained and certified and then have a lot of in the field experience. When you hire us you are getting the professionals with know how when it comes to screening and additional enclosures.
When you extend our skills to your hospitality guests you will be showing them the best of both worlds. When your hotel pool is enclosed it allows the guests the freedom to relax with more leisure and less worry. We install pool enclosures for large hotel pools all over Florida and we have also installed patio enclosures. When we work for you we do an amazing job of blending in the enclosure to the rest of the look of the hotel. Our enclosure and screen skills are customized to whatever you need and the look that you want.
Do you love your office space but are having a hard time trying to get an air conditioner to cool it down? When you have an airy large room in an old building sometimes it is impossible to get air conditioning to work for you. However these buildings usually come with some amazing windows. Our screen repair and rescreening can really compliment a situation like this. The variety of screens available out there plus our proficient expertise can combine and come up with a great solution for you. We highly recommend installing screens that shield from the sun. Yes! They do exist.
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Our commercial services do not have any shortcomings. They extend to any commercial business that needs a patio enclosed, a pool enclosed, new screening or a pet door installed. We have been doing serving Alafaya and the places around this great part of Florida for a long time now. We have worked for residential homes and commercial buildings forever. When you need someone to do this for you we are the best option in Florida. Having installed beautiful pool enclosures for five star hotels, and amazing patio enclosures for gourmet restaurants are skills and services have no limit.


text:
Q: How to select the maximum occurring string from a list of lists? In my database, I have a table.
statement= """create table itags(
                tag_id number(10) not null primary key,
                tag_name varchar2(50)
                )"""
cur.execute(statement)
cur.execute("INSERT INTO itags VALUES(301,'Art')")
cur.execute("INSERT INTO itags VALUES(302,'Science')")
cur.execute("INSERT INTO itags VALUES(303,'Music')")
...
so on and so forth
...

Now I want to select and print the most widely occurring tag name.
If I do this:
cur.execute("select tag_name from itags")
res= cur.fetchall()
print(res)

I will get a list of tuples containing the tag names I have stored in that table.
ex:
[(Art,),(Science,),(Music,),....]
Now how should I go about extracting the string with the maximum occurrence from this list of tuples? Also, will a SQL command be more helpful than a python code to do it?

A: Oracle does all the heavy lifting for you with stats_mode:
SELECT STATS_MODE(tag_name) FROM itags