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8 Out of 10 Cats
British television comedy panel game
This article is about a comedy panel show. For the comedy panel game, see 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
Comedy panel game
Sean Lock
Dave Spikey
Jon Richardson
Rob Beckett
Aisling Bea
Katherine Ryan
John Pohlhammer
Theme music composer
Mat Osman
No. of series
No. of episodes
232 (list of episodes)
Production locations
BBC Television Centre (series 1–15)
Teddington Studios (series 16)
Pinewood Studios (series 16–17, 19, 22)
Shepperton Studios (series 18)
Elstree Studios (series 20)
BBC Elstree Centre (series 21)
Banijay[1]
Original network
Channel 4 (2005–2015)
More4 (2015–2017)
E4 (2017–present)
HDTV 1080i
Original release
3 June 2005 (2005-06-03) –
8 Out of 10 Cats: Uncut
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
8 Out of 10 Cats is a British comedy panel show broadcast on Channel 4 and its sister networks, airing since 3 June 2005. The show is hosted by Jimmy Carr and the current team captains are Rob Beckett and Katherine Ryan.[2]
The show is based on statistics and opinion polls and draws on polls produced by a variety of organisations and new polls commissioned for the programme, carried out by Harris Poll. The title is derived from an old popular misquoting of a well-known advertising tagline for Whiskas cat food, which claimed that "8 out of 10 owners (later adverts adding "who expressed a preference") said their cats prefer it".
New and past episodes air across the Channel 4 network of channels, with past episodes also repeated on Dave and Comedy Central.
2 Current rounds
3 Former rounds
4 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
5 Other specials
6 Podcasts
The show is hosted by comedian Jimmy Carr and features two teams consisting of a regular team captain and two celebrity guests each. Sean Lock appeared as a team captain from series 1 to 18. He was replaced by Rob Beckett at the beginning of series 19.[3] The opposing captain was originally Dave Spikey, who left after series 4 and was replaced by Jason Manford.[4] Manford departed following series 10 and was replaced by Jon Richardson for series 11 to 18.[5] From series 19 to 20, the opposing captain was Aisling Bea.[3] In series 21, the opposing team had a rotating guest captain.[6] Katherine Ryan joined as the opposing team captain in series 22.[2]
The original format was filmed the day before broadcast with a live studio audience at BBC Television Centre. The captains are joined by two celebrities and occasionally a guest captain would substitute. Often, topical celebrities appear on the show, for example Ruth Badger following her appearance on The Apprentice.
The format was changed for the move from Channel 4 onto More 4 and E4. Shows are now recorded back to back and no longer cover topical issues. The two team captains were replaced, but Jimmy Carr still hosts. Filming is currently at Pinewood Studios with a live studio audience.
A full series was not broadcast in 2015, although two Christmas Specials were filmed and aired on 24 and 30 December 2015. No episodes were broadcast during 2018. The 22nd season started on 7 January 2020.
Current rounds[edit]
The current rounds featured on 8 Out of 10 Cats are:[7]
"What Are You Talking About?" – The polling organisation asked the public what they were talking about during the week. The teams have to try to guess the top three.
"Pick of the Polls" – The teams are given four pictures to pick from and are given a poll based on that picture.
"Believe It or Not" – The teams are given a statistic and try to guess whether it is true or false.
"And the Winner Is..." – The teams are given a question from a poll and then try to guess what came on top of that poll.
"The Poll with a Hole" – each team is given a statistic, but it is missing one piece of salient information. The teams have to guess what that piece of information is.
Until series 8, there were four rounds during the game, however, it has since been reduced to three. The points often do not add up correctly, as the show has to be edited to fit its 26-minute slot. From series 9, there is a longer version of the show called 8 Out of 10 Cats Uncut, broadcast a few days later.
Former rounds[edit]
These rounds only featured in series 1 and the Big Brother special shows:[7]
"Face Off" – The teams have to guess who from a list of famous people came top with respect to a particular topic.
"Word Association" – The teams view a clip illustrating a word and have to guess the top three things which people thought of when they heard that word.
"What's the Poll?" – The teams are given five famous people, picture by picture, and they have to guess which poll they appeared on.
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown[edit]
Main article: 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Since 2012, crossover episodes between 8 Out of 10 Cats and Countdown have aired. The show follows the format of Countdown, but is hosted by Jimmy Carr. Jon Richardson is the only permanent contestant following Sean Lock's death in 2021.
Other specials[edit]
On 4 January 2013, a special episode of Deal or No Deal featuring Carr as host along with Richardson and Lock aired during another Channel 4 "mash-up night", the story behind it being that Noel Edmonds had been driven to leave when Derren Brown was playing and was getting all the boxes from lowest to highest. Edmonds ran away with the £250,000 box, saying that he "spent it all on his shirt". The backstage personnel took out a hammer and smashed the 'break glass for Jimmy Carr's box, which produced a horn, which was used to call Carr to the set.
Joe Wilkinson guest starred as the Banker's assistant. The guests were Nicola Adams, Rob Beckett, Gemma Collins, Mia Cross, Corinne Davies, Susie Dent, Matt Forde, John Fothergill, Stephen Frost, Nick Helm, Elis James, Dave Johns, Tony Law, Alice Levine, Mark Olver, Rachel Riley, John Robins, Katherine Ryan, Nong Skett, Andy Smart and Holly Walsh.
Podcasts[edit]
A series of podcasts have also been released on iTunes, with material directly from the show, for several episodes. Each podcast is typically the "What Are You Talking About" round from that episode.
Cast[edit]
Presenter Jimmy Carr
Team captains Sean Lock Rob Beckett
Dave Spikey Jason Manford Jon Richardson Aisling Bea Guests Katherine Ryan
Episodes[edit]
Main article: List of 8 Out of 10 Cats episodes
Originally aired
First aired
Last aired
11 3 June 2005 (2005-06-03) 12 August 2005 (2005-08-12) Channel 4
7 10 February 2006 (2006-02-10) 24 March 2006 (2006-03-24)
9 26 May 2006 (2006-05-26) 18 August 2006 (2006-08-18)
9 20 October 2006 (2006-10-20) 15 December 2006 (2006-12-15)
7 15 June 2007 (2007-06-15) 30 August 2007 (2007-08-30)
6 13 June 2008 (2008-06-13) 18 July 2008 (2008-07-18)
15 4 September 2008 (2008-09-04) 26 December 2008 (2008-12-26)
8 5 June 2009 (2009-06-05) 24 July 2009 (2009-07-24)
8 8 January 2010 (2010-01-08) 21 August 2010 (2010-08-21)
8 11 June 2010 (2010-06-11) 23 December 2010 (2010-12-23)
5 March 2011 (2011-03-05)
11 17 June 2011 (2011-06-17) 26 August 2011 (2011-08-26)
12 23 September 2011 (2011-09-23) 23 December 2011 (2011-12-23)
11 27 April 2012 (2012-04-27) 6 July 2012 (2012-07-06)
12 8 October 2012 (2012-10-08) 24 December 2012 (2012-12-24)
12 18 January 2013 (2013-01-18) 9 September 2013 (2013-09-09)
11 17 February 2014 (2014-02-17) 20 August 2014 (2014-08-20)
2 24 December 2015 (2015-12-24) 29 December 2015 (2015-12-29)
12 8 November 2016 (2016-11-08) 1 February 2017 (2017-02-01) More4
12 16 May 2017 (2017-05-16) 1 August 2017 (2017-08-01) E4
12 24 March 2019 (2019-03-24) 6 January 2020 (2020-01-06)
12 7 January 2020 (2020-01-07) 17 January 2021 (2021-01-17)
DVD[edit]
8 Out of 10 Cats: Claws Out is a ninety-minute collection of highlights from the first few series featuring deleted scenes considered too offensive to be aired. It was released on 20 November 2006.
^ "8 Out Of 10 Cats". Banijay. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
^ a b "KATHERINE RYAN CONFIRMED AS TEAM CAPTAIN ON e4's 8 OUT OF 10 CATS | Channel 4".
^ a b Baillie, Katie (12 October 2016). "8 Out of 10 Cats is coming back and there are two new team captains". Metro. DMG Media.
^ "8 Out of 10 Cats – Production Details". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
^ "sro audiences". www.sroaudiences.com.
^ "8 Out Of 10 Cats returns to E4". British Comedy Guide. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
^ a b "About 8 Out of 10 Cats". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
8 Out of 10 Cats at Channel 4
8 Out of 10 Cats at British Comedy Guide
8 Out of 10 Cats at EpisodeWorld.com
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=8_Out_of_10_Cats&oldid=1063151678"
2005 British television series debuts
2000s British comedy television series
2000s British game shows
British panel games
Channel 4 comedy
Channel 4 panel games
English-language television shows
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This past week has seen the passing of our friend of the heart. The good parts of this are that this amazing man was in our life, he made us smile a lot, he was content with what he had, he didn't hold grudges, he didn't regret his decisions in life – he lived with them no matter how they turned out, even though things in his life didn't always go right. He would want us to continue embracing our lives in a positive manner…because, yes, life does go on…on this beautiful Sunday morning I sit here remembering one beautiful soul as I await the arrival of another beautiful soul to be – another grandson will be making his entrance into the world any time now. He is a bit overdue, but I am sure he will cause quite a stir once he arrives! Blessings to you all, from your Writer on the Run!


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Content type Article (30) Conference Session (1) Event (10) Paper (5) Video (2) Topic Business & Accounting (1) Business & Industry (2) Development (11) Development Economics (1) Economic History (1) Economics Profession (1) Education (1) Employment & Job Structure (1) Environment (3) Finance (3) Gender (1) Governance (1) Government & Politics (17) Health (17) History (14) History of Economic Thought (1) Humanities (1) Income & Wealth (1) Inequality & Distribution (7) Institutions, Policy & Politics (1) Interdisciplinary Economics (2) Labor (1) Laws (3) Microeconomics (2) Philosophy & Ethics (2) Political Economy & Development (1) Race (2) Society (2) Technology & Innovation (3) Trade (3) JEL code D7 Analysis of Collective Decision-Making (1) D74 Conflict • Conflict Resolution • Alliances • Revolutions (1) H5 National Government Expenditures and Related Policies (1) H56 National Security and War (1) O5 Economywide Country Studies (1) O55 Africa (1) Z00 Other Special Topics (1) Z1 Cultural Economics Economic Sociology Economic Anthropology (1) Z10 General (1)
The Pandemic Triggered the Questioning of Current Governance Systems in Africa
By Folashadé Soulé and Camilla Toulmin
An interview with Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)
Dr John Nkengasong: A Collective Regional Approach Has Shown Its Power
An interview with John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC, about how a coordinated response to COVID-19 in Africa has proven to be effective
Nimrod Zalk: "Let's Be Strategic in Our Thinking About Trade"
By Camilla Toulmin and Folashadé Soulé
An interview with the Industrial Development Advisor in the Office of the Director-General of the South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).
Mzukisi Qobo: The Old Mantra About Growth Has Reached Exhaustion
In this interview, Dr. Folashadé Soulé and Dr. Camilla Toulmin speak with Pr. Mzukisi Qobo. Pr Qobo is the Head of the Wits School of Governance, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Nanjala Nyabola: COVID-19 and Africa: Techno-solutions won't save us from the problems we face
In this interview, Dr. Folashadé Soulé and Dr. Camilla Toulmin discuss with Nanjala Nyabola, a writer and researcher based in Nairobi, Kenya. Nanjala's work focuses on the intersection between technology, media, and society. She is currently the Director of Advox, the digital rights programme at Global Voices. Nanjala has held numerous research associate positions including with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), and other institutions, while also working as a research lead for several projects on human rights broadly and digital rights specifically around the world.
Kandeh Yumkella: COVID-19 Has Helped People Understand the Vital Connection Between Energy and Health.
Dr Kandeh Yumkella is a development economist, founder and CEO of The Energy Nexus Network (TENN), a regional hub for sustainable energy solutions and serves as a Member of Parliament in Sierra Leone. Previously Dr Yumkella served as Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and founding chief executive officer for the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Initiative (2013–2015). He also served as Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, 2005–2013), mobilising global consensus for SDG7 and 9. He is a member of the High-Level Group of the Africa-Europe Foundation, co-chair of the Africa Europe Foundation Strategy Group on Energy, and member of various international advisory bodies, boards, and commissions.
How COVID-19 Is Impacting Rural Africans in the Sahel
By Sidiki Diarra and Camilla Toulmin
An interview with young migrants living in Mali's capital city of Bamako
"Young African People See No Clear Future for Themselves"
An interview with African development specialist Bara Guèye
« La jeunesse africaine n'a pas assez de visibilité sur son avenir »
Un entretien avec Bara Guèye
Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, OBE, Freetown City Council, Sierra Leone
"We're building a data system, because you can't really manage a city if you don't know who's there and what's in it."
Paper: Structural Transformation, Economic Development and Industrialization in Post-Covid-19 Africa
By Carlos Lopes and Dirk Willem te Velde
While Africa's "premature deindustrialization" appears to be the dominant global narrative, recent analysis of the data suggests that de-industrialization is not the common experience for the majority of African countries
Carl Manlan: African Philanthropy Has Mobilized Effectively During COVID19
In this interview, Folashadé Soulé and Camilla Toulmin speak with Carl Manlan, the Chief Operating Officer of the Ecobank Foundation - responsible for Ecobank's social impact engagement with the communities in which the bank operates in Africa – on the role of African philanthropy and corporate social responsibility in the response to COVID-19 on the continent.
Mossadeck Bally, CEO Azalaï Hotels Group : « Le secteur privé africain doit faire partie intégrante des plans de relance économique »
Dans le cadre de cet entretien, Mr. Mossadeck Bally, C.E.O, Azalai Hotels Group et membre du GRAIN (Groupe de Réflexion, d'Actions et d'Initiatives Novatrices) revient sur les impacts économiques de la pandémie du COVID-19 sur son groupe hôtelier, le rôle du secteur privé malien dans le plan de relance économique, l'emploi des jeunes et les solutions qui doivent être apportées à la crise politique au Mali.
Mossadeck Bally, CEO Azalaï Hotels group: "Africa's Economic Recovery Plans Must Involve the Private Sector as an Integral Part"
In this interview, Mr. Mossadeck Bally, a Malian businessman and CEO of Azalai Hotels Group and member of GRAIN (Group of Reflection, Actions and Innovative Initiatives) discusses the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on his hotel group, the role of the Malian private sector in the economic recovery plan, youth employment and the solutions that must be provided to the political crisis in Mali.
Edward Brown: "Growth with 'DEPTH' should guide economic transformation in Africa"
In this interview, Folashadé Soulé and Camilla Toulmin discuss with Edward K. Brown, Senior Director, Research and Advisory services at the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) based in Accra, Ghana, on the effects of COVID-19 on regional integration and economic transformation in Africa, and the role of ACET and African think tanks in advising African governments respond to the crisis.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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"Somalia Is A War Zone"- New Somali President
by Korede April 6, 2017, 4:30 pm
Somalia's new president has called the country a war zone and replaced its military and intelligence chiefs while passing instruction to the army to prepare a new offensive against al-Shabaab extremists.
The shakeup on Thursday is an attempt to improve the worsening security situation as the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab steps up its deadly bombings in the capital since President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed was elected in February.
The Somali-American president wore a military uniform as he declared a "new offensive against terrorist groups." He is giving extremists a 60-day amnesty to surrender.
The changes are seen as an attempt by Mohamed to consolidate power in this long-chaotic horn of Africa nation. He has replaced the country's police chief and Mogadishu's mayor.
Previous article Top 10 Places To Visit In Malawi
Next article REVEALED: Details About The Killing Of Congo's First Democratically Elected Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba!!
Somalia Hopes to Counter Al Shabaab with New Education Curriculum
in World Buzz
AFRICOM Change Of Command Ceremony Scheduled For July 26
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Corporal Baboucarr alias 'Nyakareh', a serving member of the Gambia Armed Forces, was arrested while on leave, his wife told this medium.
The resident of Lamin village Mrs. Rohey Jarju said while she was with her husband on Friday 7 July 2017, he received a phone call that he should report to the Fajara Barracks; that on arrival, he was arrested and detained.
''Few weeks during his leave, he was phoned by someone from his workplace at Fajara Barracks that he was needed; that he was going to answer to the said caller but did not return home since. I have tried all means to reach him through phone, but his numbers were switched off. In that state of trauma, I went to the Barracks on Thursday, 13 July, where I found him held in a cell,'' she said.
Asked the reasons (s) behind her husband's arrest, she said since the detention of her husband for nearly 3 months, she couldn't establish any tangible reason about what led to the arrest and does not have the means financially to hire a lawyer for her husband.
''I asked him why he was detained, he told me no reasons were given to him yet,'' the wife said. She further said that the authorities should clear the air, and tell them why he was arrested and still detained for so long.
She said she wants the authorities to inform them why his husband is put in one place without being brought to court or released.
Mrs Jarju described her husband as the main breadwinner of their young family. ''He had family to look after. Our children are going to school and the eldest among them is now in grade 12 and this would be very difficult for her to cope with.
She said access was granted for her to be visiting her husband at his place of detention in Fajara, but calls for his release.
It could be recalled that Lieutenant Abdoulie Jarju, Corporal Baboucarr alias 'nyakareh' Sanneh, Lance Corporal Sambujang Bojang, Corporal Lamin Nyassi and Staff Sergeant Mbemba Camara were arrested on different dates and times on allegations that they are members of a certain 'Whatsapp' group where seditious statements were being exchanged.
Foroyaa later learned that Sstg. Camara was later moved to Yundum Barracks, where he is continuing his detention without trial.
Family members of the detained soldiers including their wives, have denied the allegations heaped on their loved ones and expressed their dissatisfaction with the manner which the government is keeping them in one place, without bringing them before the law.
Next articleIs President Barrow Aware Of The Calls For Questioning Of Party Leaders?


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ITU Solar Car Team
ITU 2020-2021 Academic Year Has Begun!
It was announced that the universities will continue online due to the pandemic period, which was difficult but made us have an idea about how we can work in different environments and conditions and how we can keep our motivation. ITU also started the new academic year on October 16.
In this beginning, our team members who were in Istanbul started to get ready with the decision of our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu to exhibit the projects that emerged with the efforts of the bright minds of our school in the Rectorate Art Gallery. Bosch Turkey and the Middle East President Steven Young would also visit the exhibition. On the morning of the opening day of the exhibition, the excitement of the representatives of the project teams was read on their faces. We also put on our clothes representing our team and prepared our promotional brochures. We were eager to tell our guests about our team and our vehicle, B.O.W., the third fastest challenger in Europe, which has just returned from Belgium with success. We had detailed conversations with our esteemed professors and exchanged information on renewable energy and future technologies. The "Golden Car", located in the middle of the hall and attracting attention at first sight, aroused the curiosity of those who saw it. Questions about the Golden Car were being asked one after the other. Time was flowing with good communication, and after a while our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu and Bosch Turkey and the Middle East President Steven Young entered the gallery. While they took a circular tour in the hall, they took the information of the teams from stands and then came to our side. Both seemed curious and content with what they saw. Our conversation, which started with a personal meeting, continued with the speeches on the team and the vehicle. Young, himself from Australia, listened to our racing experiences in Australia with interest. We had a very sincere conversation with Young, who also gave his opinions and suggestions on our production and future planning. Together with them, who appreciated our local production, we left the gallery for the 2020-2021 ITU Opening Ceremony. We would like to thank our Rectorate for this valuable event. These types of organizations are a great opportunity to announce the research and development activities carried out by young minds in our country to the public.
You can access the 360 degree view of the exhibition on Google Street View via the QR code on the page.
This Week at the Workshop #26


Hello Sir Greetings...... it will be helpful if u could provide some feedback on my designs....so i can work on it with more clarity.....thank you....!
HELLO SIR GREETINGS ....WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON #13... THANK YOU... :) :) :)...!
It will be a veteran owned business offering construction and support services. Incorporate veteran and military colors of green or red white and blue. I would like the V and B to stand out in a creative way. Also look to maybe add 3 lighting bolts (they will signify out competitive advantages), google the Special Forces logo to see what I mean.
Could you give me more details? Thanks.


Angiogenesis, a form of gene therapy, helps heart patients grow, repair, and restore new blood vessels.
Angiogenesis grows new blood vessels using substances called growth factors, which deliver instructions to the patient's affected cells so they grow. This type of gene therapy allows the body to heal itself.
Your doctor injects the growth factors directly into the heart or leg muscles. Or, he or she can administer them intravenously through catheters into the arteries of the heart.
Angiogenesis is ideal for patients who have a blockage in a major coronary artery and have developed collaterals. Collaterals are smaller blood vessels the body grows over time to help compensate for the loss of circulation.


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You are here: Home / Misc / Out Hotel NYC Owners Slapped With Anti-Gay Discrimination Lawsuit
Out Hotel NYC Owners Slapped With Anti-Gay Discrimination Lawsuit
By Paisley Dalton on June 3, 2015 6:51 pm
Things are getting a bit trickier for Out NYC Hotel owners Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass. After their recent dinner date with anti-gay presidential candidate Ted Cruz, and calling gays 'cheap' and 'entitled', the partners (who also own most of Fire Island's gay haunts) felt the wrath of a gay boycott, including the hotel, events scheduled to be held at the hotel and in XL Nightclub, and Fire Island spots The Pavilion, Botel Barracks, Low Tea, High Tea and more.
Now the duo of Hell's Kitchen have been slapped with a lawsuit by four former employees alleging discrimination and withheld pay, on behalf of specific plaintiffs and "all others similarly-situated." Basically, they are saying that they didn't get all their tips and overtime pay. Plus, two of the complainants Donald Shorter (Broadway dancer in A Chorus Line/La Cage Aux Folles) and James Stress allege discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The suit goes on to say that Stress and Shorter, who worked as servers at KTCHN in the hotel, were subjected "to a hostile work environment" and "disparate treatment" that led "to their constructive discharge."
"We were the only two men working at KTCHN who outwardly presented as feminine at work and who did not adhere to masculine stereotypes."
(Donald Shorter Pictured Above)
Check out the whole story at Advocate.


Homeowners can use this tax loophole – at their risk – CNBC.com – Interest on home equity lines of credit used to be deductible on loans up to $100,000, no matter how you spent the money; The Tax Cuts and.
Can I Deduct My Mortgage Interest? – For instance, many homeowners decide to pay upfront points on a mortgage in order to reduce their interest rate. If you pay points that are in line with what. your immediate deduction, although you.
Interest deductibility on investment properties – · Interest deductibility on investment properties. By Eddie Chung | 20 jun 2012. SHARE.. This arrangement has the effect of compounding the tax-deductible interest on the investment loan while also accelerating the repayment of the home loan.. would not have incurred any interest, or would have incurred less interest, on the line of credit.
Can you still deduct Home Equity Line of Credit ("HELOC. – Can you still deduct interest from your Home Equity Line of Credit ("HELOC")? November 12, 2018. You may have heard that your Home Equity Line of Credit ("HELOC") interest is no longer tax deductible on your individual income tax return.
refinance into 15 year mortgage Should You Refinance To a 15-Year Mortgage? | Money – Q: I'm eight years into my 30-year mortgage, but I want to pay it off faster.Am I better off refinancing to a 15- or 20-year loan, or just paying a bit extra toward principal each month on my existing loan? A: A key calculation is to figure out whether your savings in total interest payments will be greater than the costs of refinancing.
Mortgage interest deduction cap: Is it that big a deal? | Credit Karma – Mortgage interest deduction cap: Do you really need to care?. mortgage, a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit, or HELOC.
Line of Credit Standby Fees, to Deduct or to Capitalize. – Many businesses rely on a standby line of credit to cover their expenses, to weather downturns, and to grow. But this credit can be expensive in terms of interest and fees. The fees can be problematic as they may not be deductible for federal income tax purposes at the time they are paid.
pros and cons of interest only mortgage What Are the Pros and Cons of an Interest-Only ARM Mortgage? – A low interest rate is beneficial on a regular arm mortgage, but when it is an interest-only ARM, borrowers can enjoy particular savings. Thus, this type of mortgage is appealing to homebuyers when the rate is low. On the other hand, opting for an interest-only ARM mortgage is risky, because the rates can fluctuate substantially.
Home-equity loans are no longer deductible, so plan now – As long as the home is used to secure the loan, taxpayers can still deduct interest paid on the mortgage – for a main home or second home – and home-equity loan or line of credit. But, bringing this.


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Home Design Kit Built Helicopters Rotorway
Rotorway Helicopters – The Dark Years
TOPICS:B.J.SchrammBANKRUPTCYRotorway ELETERotorway Helicopters
Posted By: redback November 18, 2018
ROTORWAY FORCED INTO BANKRUPTCY
The combination of a failed foreign market and unforeseen local real estate reversals drives helicopter company into Chapter Seven
NOTE: Historical article from the 90's.
It was another one of those bad news days. Early this morning, I received a call from B.J. Schramm, the head of Rotor way, the veteran aviation company which has been serving the flying public for 25 years. Mr. Schramm said he was calling me himself because he wanted to be sure I knew the truth about the demise of their company, not just hear rumors from other sources.
It was a very sad, but not unexpected story: B.J. Schramm had started Rotorway the hard way, working long hours to design and produce his helicopters for very small return, but always turning out the very best quality rotorcraft which could be built, made of the finest available materials. And the price of the helicopter was always kept as affordable as possible so that many pilots could enjoy it.
Even though they never made a great deal of money by selling their helicopters, the company had purchased a small amount of property, and they'd kept afloat for many years by the escalation of real estate values in the Phoenix Arizona area where they were situated.
During this period, there had been a short time when the company had managed to turn a fair profit; only to have it siphoned off by the lawyers they hired to defend them in a lawsuit.
B.J. went on to tell me that it was a combination of unfortunate events which brought down the company. After years of rising property values in the Phoenix area, the real estate market suddenly softened and leveled off, causing many area banks to feel the pinch.
Many improvement loans had been granted to Rotorway over the years, on the basis of the escalated value of their property, and the company had expanded their operations several times in this way, so Rotorway was heavily in debt.
They were not without orders, however, because 12 new helicopters had been ordered by a company in Brazil, and the people at Rotorway had devoted their complete production to completing that order.
Because they had already accepted the large Brazilian order, Rotorway told their domestic customers that their orders would be postponed until the helicopters for their current order had been built. When elections were held in Brazil and a new president was elected, nobody thought anything of it, and production at Rotorway continued unabated.
Then B.J. received a notice from South America that the newly-elected president of Brazil had ordered all foreign imports to be stopped, effective immediately. The Brazilian company which had ordered the twelve helicopters was unable to accept or pay for them, and canceled the order.
Rotorway then turned to its domestic customers, but evidently they had tired of waiting, and canceled their orders as well. Rotorway was left with no money to meet the bank loan payments, and cash flow quickly dried up.
One of the other factors which contributed to Rotorway's problem occurred in 1988, when the company moved to a new building costing over one million dollars, which they financed with a loan from one of the banks.
Another was the cost of updating the design for the new Elete which was funded from an additional half-million-dollar loan. Expenses from its expanded operations soared as well, and B.J. Schramm searched for ways to continue.
For the next few months, he made a valiant effort to attract outside investors to help save the company. Some were found, but because of the widespread fear of product liability, they all declined to participate, and prospects became dimmer yet.
At that time, there were $250,000-worth of pre-paid orders in house, and Mr. Schramm told me that for awhile, he and a few loyal craftsmen worked day and night in the factory, turning out the product. He was proud to tell me that over 95 percent of those orders had been shipped. Rotorway finally defaulted on its bank loans, and the bank foreclosed on their property.
On a potentially hopeful note, papers on the loans were sold to a third party who says he Will attempt to salvage the product line, and some Rotorway employees have been retained by the new owner. And so, yet another aviation firm has been forced to go to the bankruptcy courts toplead for relief of loans and debts which were impossible to pay off in today's economy.
Because of B.J. Schramm's reputation for honesty and integrity during the 25 years he was in business at Rotorway, we know he'll be back. He may return with another company, or he may be working for somebody else, but anyone with a love of aviation and a genius for design such as B.J. Schramm possesses cannot stay away from flying for very long.
Let's just hope that his brainchild, the Rotorway Executive, and his other excellent design, the new Rotorway Elete, will also continue to be available to helicopter enthusiasts for many years to come.
Rotorway Helicopters - The Dark Years
Rotorway Helicopters has had a colorful past, but they managed to eventually get some traction and continue as the leader in kit built helicopters.
Norm Goyer
The Sharp Little Javelin Helicopter
Scorpion 2 Helicopter Is Born
Understanding The Rotor System
1991 Oshkosh Report Reveals Cobra Predator Helicopter Pictures
2 Comments on "Rotorway Helicopters – The Dark Years"
Gustavo Brea | January 25, 2019 at 5:54 am | Reply
Please, check this article, because BJ Schramm pass over several years ago…
redback | January 25, 2019 at 6:25 am | Reply
Hi Gustavo, as you may notice – most of the information we provide are "historical articles". You are correct in pointing out that BJ passed away some time ago. This article is from over 40 years ago.


Q: We've looked at more than 50 houses with our agent and even made offers on two properties. Unfortunately, those offers didn't work out.
We've now found a house that's for sale by owner. We'd like to make an offer on the property, but we feel bad not buying from our agent after she's spent so much time with us. What should we do?
A: Why don't you try to use your agent to negotiate with the seller? It's possible that the seller will see the wisdom of agreeing to pay 2 or 2.5 percent to the agent and will build that commission into the final price (after you negotiate).
If not, it would be nice (although not strictly necessary) to buy your agent a lovely gift to say thank you for all the hard work she has put into helping you purchase a home. You can even give him a gift card in an amount you think is reasonable or some people even write the agent a check in order to say thank you in a more meaningful way.
Real estate agents understand that they are going to win some and lose some. Listing agents who cannot get a house sold know that they may eventually lose that listing — even after putting in hundreds of hours. Buyer's agents know that buyers decide not to buy, or they buy by-owner, or they move to a different state or city and buy there.
Keep in mind if the deal with the for sale by owner falls through, you will want to work with your agent again. Whatever you decide to do, it would be thoughtful to write your agent a letter thanking her for assisting you along the path to homeowner, and offering to recommend her to your friends.
How Much Personal Information Do You Have to Give to the HOA?
What's the Best Way to Hold Title on Your Home?


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Home » How Venezuela survives without electricity
How Venezuela survives without electricity
The Venezuelan National Assembly, headed by opposition leader Juan Guaido, has introduced a state of emergency in the country due to the extremely difficult situation with the electricity supply. This happened at a meeting of parliament on Monday, March 11. The government body that was under the control of opponents of the legitimate president, Nicholas Maduro, did not immediately make such a decision - the discussion lasted several hours.
However, it was the speech of the proclaimed interim president that Guaido convinced the assembly of the need to introduce a state of emergency lasting for a month with the possibility of its extension for the same period. He said that such a measure would allow to turn to other countries for help. According to the politician, this possibility was discussed with Germany, Japan, Colombia and Brazil. The impostor "forgot" about another country, the abbreviated name of which is an abbreviation of three letters.
However, it is clear that the puppet of Washington acts mainly in accordance with the instructions received. Before deciding to invade the country, the Americans use all possible ways to destabilize the situation. We must pay tribute to the States - this blow to the positions of Maduro was a success for them.
Guaido also announced large-scale protests related to the blackout in Venezuela. He called on people in Caracas and other cities to take to the streets on March 12 to show Maduro and his government that this power is responsible for the catastrophic situation in the country. The legitimate head of state, in turn, holds up his defense, declaring that the "battle for the liberation of the national electric system" continues. In the conditions of sabotage and cyber attacks, it is extremely difficult to do this, so Maduro does not promise specific deadlines for solving the problem.
Life without light
If for the first month and a half after the self-proclamation of Guaido as interim president, the life of Venezuela proceeded in a more or less usual way, then without electricity in 20 of the 23 states, including Caracas, it was practically paralyzed. The fifth day does not operate the subway, the Internet, there are regular interruptions in water, serious problems have arisen in the work of most infrastructure facilities, from airports to hospitals. Marauders began to rob shops. It is almost impossible to buy something in cash from them, and paper money cannot be removed from the cards - ATMs are turned off.
Those who have generators are saved with their help. This provoked large queues at gas stations from those wishing to buy fuel for these installations. Some people manage to charge their mobile phones from special devices installed on the streets and powered by solar panels. And here a large number of people who want to get access to vital energy exceeds the possibilities.
Emergency mode - formality
Despite the fact that by March 11 the power supply in the capital was restored by 40%, this day was declared a holiday, including in educational institutions. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the provision of citizens in need food sets and drinking water, which will be brought to the houses in tanks. Special attention is paid to hospitals - they will not work to close them, as a business center with offices.
It is necessary to understand that the state of emergency introduced by Guaido is only a formality designed to increase pressure on Venezuela from the outside. Typically, such a measure is needed to mobilize forces within a country or a region — first and foremost, law enforcement agencies, which in an emergency need to maintain order and help other services. However, for the army and the police, who remain loyal to Maduro, all these statements are not a decree.
And the fact that sabotage at energy facilities made the situation in the country extraordinary is understandable without an impostor. Another thing is that as soon as it is possible to stabilize the supply of electricity and ensure the protection of the system, life in Venezuela will again take its course. Ordinary citizens see that the authorities are really taking some measures in the circumstances, while the opposition leader only does what he says, calling for Maduro to be removed.
Outside pressure continues
In parallel with the organization and implementation of sabotage inside Venezuela, the United States continues to exert pressure from outside. March 11 was fulfilled a promise to impose restrictions against those who continue to do business with official Caracas.
US special envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams promises other measures that can be applied depending on "the behavior of the Maduro regime."
Americans Threaten to Turn Venezuela Into a "Second Libya"
Americans Threaten to Turn Venezuela Into a...
The United States threatens to bomb Venezuela the way it did with the Libyan Jamahiriya US Senator Marco Rubio posted...
An Ocean of Lies on Venezuela: Abby Martin & UN...
Russia addresses the press on Venezuela at the UN
Another Reason for Washington in Venezuela?
Many myself among them have pointed to the vast hydrocarbon reserves of Venezuela as a possible driving motive behind the otherwise bizarre...
Guaido Is The Most-Hated Man In Venezuela
British photojournalist Alan Gignoux and Venezuelan journalist-filmmaker Carolina Graterol, both based in London, went to Venezuela for a month to...
CNN Falsely Claims Venezuela's Guaido Was Elected President...
Continuing to try to advance the US narrative that Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is the "duly elected" president, CNN went to the trouble...
Russia beats US in Venezuela
The first round of negotiations between Caracas and the Venezuelan opposition was successfully held in the Norwegian capital, and the second round...
Is Oil Behind Washington's Venezuela Coup Madness?
On January 23 US Vice President Pence sent a message via Twitter that Washington recognized the 35-year-old Speaker of the Venezuela National...
What's Not Being Said About the Venezuela Oil War
So far much of the discussion over what is driving the bizarre Trump Administration intervention into Venezuela centers around the comments of...
Venezuela: The opposition fails
The opposition has called all sectors for mass strikes; however, this appeal was not supported by citizens. Many shops, public transport and all...
Washington Has Appointed A President For Venezuela
After listening since 2016 to the American presstitutes complain, without providing a mere scrap of evidence, of Russia meddling in US elections, a...
Every man for himself: The EU countries will individually...
EU countries make decisions on the recognition of Guaido according to national prerogatives, said the head of EU diplomacy Federica Mogherini. The...
Venezuela Diplomat Interrupts, Condemns OAS Secretary'...
Venezuela's diplomat interrupted General-Secretary of Organization of the American States, OAS, Luis Almagro before he started a press conference...


I love this concept from JWT – the New York-based communications agency has transformed some 3,000 brands into animated characters as a way of comparing characteristics.
Referred to as a 'brand visualisation tool', Brand Toys as it's called, includes everyone from Apple to Nokia, with all sorts of teddy bears, cartoon characters and monsters resulting.
It's not however merely a subjective project, each toy has been created based on quantitative research, with character and personality determined by Millward Brown's famous BrandZ study (this year led by Apple), and real-time, online buzz data by Social Mention.
Varying body shapes, for instance, depend on scores for familiarity and potential. There's even a weather backdrop representing online sentiment.
Brands can be compared with others (see my screen grab above of a few choice fashion brands including Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith and Ralph Lauren – not sure they'd be wholeheartedly enamoured with the designs themselves mind), as well as across the 23 countries included.
For those interested in having a play, it's also possible to customise the toys. Users can then share their creations via social media.


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"Pendulum swings" in Knowledge Management – a story
Knowledge Management often involves balancing two forces – Connect and Collect, for example, or value to the individual and value to the firm. If you are not careful, this balance can turn into pendulum swings from one factor to the other. Here is a story of this happening.
Typical cycles in the balance between predator and prey
This is a story about how KM activity and support, in one organisation, has fluctuated wildly on an 8-year periodicity. It is also a story about why this happened (with reference to predator-prey cycles) and how other companies can avoid it happening to them.
In the mid 80s, the company in question first realised that the various factories around the world were failing to learn from each other, and that there was a massive efficiency gain to be made by sharing best practice. They started a series of Global Practice Groups, and immediately began to deliver some quick wins in terms of business value.
Over time, the members of the Global Practice Groups found that they were also getting personal value from being part of the group. The groups were seen as an excellent opportunity for personal networking, and membership grew and grew. New GPGs were formed, and they grew as well. After a while the management of the organisation began to think that people were spending too much time on the GPGs. They were seen as too many, too costly to the business, and too time consuming. Management closed them down in the mid 90s, and started a different system – Performance Improvement Teams.
These immediately began to deliver some quick wins in terms of business value. Over time, the members of the PITs found that they were also getting personal value from being part of the group. The PITs developed into networks, and were seen as good value for money. New PITs were formed, and they grew as well. After a while the management of the organisation began to think that people were spending too much time on the PITs, which were seen as too many, too costly to the business and too time consuming. Management closed them down in the early 2000s, and started a different system – Communities of Practice.
These CoPs were a lot like the GPGs but initially there were fewer of them and they now had more effective processes, better KM systems and designated leadership teams. They immediately began to deliver ………you can guess the rest. Delivery of business value, declaration of victory, growth in popularity, eventually deemed too expensive, too numerous and too time consuming. Management closed them down in the late 2000s and replaced them by Continuous Improvement Forums. The story continues.
The GPGs, PITs, CoPs and CIFs started off small and focused, working on organisational problems. The members then found they also were gaining value, the groups grew, and the pendulum swung from "value to the company" to "value to the members". The company saw costs growing and value diminishing, and restarted the cycle with a fresh swing of the pendulum.
These cycles happened on about an 8-year periodicity. In a way, they are reminiscent of predator-prey cycles such as the one in the picture, where an increase in prey population causes an increase in predator population, which then causes a subsequent crash.
A predator prey cycle, and the KM cycles seen above, can both be thought of as a balance swinging between two extremes. In the predator/prey cycles the extremes are
many prey, increase in predators (growth)
many predators, decrease in prey (crash)
In the KM cycle, the extremes are
much value to the organisation, less value to the members (growth)
much value to the members, less value to the organisation (crash)
This imbalance was referred to by Siemens as "the customer trap"; the need to balance the expectation of the business, in terms of delivery of the KM program, with the expectations of the user. Knowledge management often requires attention to two forces, which we (or at least those of us in a western dualist mindset) see as opposing:
Connecting and Collecting
Top-down and Bottom up
Conversation and Content
Search and Browse
Tacit and Explicit
Value to firm and value to knowledge worker
Where forces are seen to oppose, then rather than finding a balance, the pendulum may swing from one side to the other, as in the story above. We need to avoid this dualist trap, and see KM in a systemic way, where these forces form part of a system, just the lynx and hares do on the picture above.
How do you avoid the pendulum?
What we really need is a balance –
sustained value to the business
sustained value to the members
Setting this balance is a governance issue, which would result in long term stability.
Both the leadership of the groups and the KM leadership of the organisation need to ensure that the CoPs/GPGs are focused on both value propositions. They need to:
help the communities develop charter that stress the need for value both to the organisation and the members;
track and report the value to both sets of stakeholders;
intervene when needed to balance the two value propositions.
Without such governance, communities of practice in any organisation may suffer from the same problem of radically fluctuating support, and constant 8-year cycles of growth and crash.
View Original Source (nickmilton.com) Here.
Shared by: Nick Milton January 9, 2020
Tags: governance


The Electrical Contractors Association is proud to announce that we have gained capacity to help our members diversify their service offering with Electric Fencing as an offer to clients. The Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) has given the ECA(SA) accreditation for Electrical Fence Training.
(i) How to install electric fencing.
(ii) Relevant inspection and testing of a single-phase domestic installation.
(iii) Appropriate testing and inspection of three-phase industrial/commercial installations.
(iv) Configuration of an installation.
(v) Determination of installation requirements, which will give you and your employees full understanding of electric fencing as well as the related Certificate of Compliance (CoC).
The ECA(SA) is accredited to conduct this training until 2022.
We have started with training in earnest response to the needs of the industry. This is an opportunity for members to offer clients an extra service and access another source of income for their businesses. In tough economic times, when domestic and business security is of paramount importance, being able to contribute to the security of your clients and doing business whilst at it, can only be good for your business and may help your business grow and survive tough economic conditions. However, while you probably can do very little about the midnight cabinet reshuffle, you can find new clients – and new money – for your business. Your existing clients do not have to use another supplier for this service and, at the ECA(SA), we believe clients are much more likely to trust his/her trusted electrical contractor to do an electric fence installation than another person, who may do the electrical installation but cannot issue the related CoC.
For the first time in our history as the ECA(SA), we now provide you with the resource to help you install compliant electric fences, backed by accredited training. Make use of this opportunity and enter this market. You will bring into this industry the same values that you have displayed as a trusted electrical contractor. As members of the ECA(SA) this training is available to you at discounted rates. We offer this course to non-members at competitive rates as well because our motive remains skills transfer and expansion of the skill base of the Republic.
Please call Leola Schroeder at (011) 392 0000 to secure your space at the next training offering.


ZnO is widely used as an n-type semiconductor in various solar cell structures; including dyesensitized, organic, hybrid and solid-state solar cells. Here, we review advances in ZnO-based solar cell applications, looking at the influence of morphology, as well as the effect of different materials and sensitizers. ZnO morphologies play an important role in changing the surface area and charge transport properties, affecting the performance of the solar cells. External quantum efficiencies using purely ZnO as the active material has generally been below 3% with some dye-sensitized solar cells using liquid electrolytes above 5%. Sensitizers such as organic and inorganic dyes, quantum dots and hole conductors have been shown to influence cell efficiency by improving the absorption or providing improved charge transport. The combination of ZnO with other nanomaterials such as, TiO2, SiO2 and ZrO2 in core–shell structures or buffer layers creates improved electron transport by controlling recombination at interfaces and increasing stability of the device. The highest reported efficiencies to date were from combinational structures at 7.07% for ZnO nanosheets with TiO2 nanoparticulate coating and 7% for ZnO core–TiO2 shell structures.


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Math Lovers Forum at MSRI: Moon Duchin on "Random Walks and Gerrymandering"
from MSRI / National Math Festival PRO
Dr. Moon Duchin of Tufts University spoke to MSRI's Math Lovers Forum (mathlovers.msri.org) in September 2018. Markov chain Monte Carlo, or MCMC, is a powerful family of search algorithms that has applications all over science and engineering. Dr. Duchin makes the case that it gives us the material for a major breakthrough in the study of redistricting: how do you decide when a map has been gerrymandered?
Moon Duchin is an Associate Professor of mathematics at Tufts University and serves as director of Tufts' interdisciplinary Science, Technology, and Society program. Her mathematical research is in geometric group theory, low-dimensional topology, and dynamics. She is also one of the leaders of the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group, a Tisch College-supported project that focuses mathematical attention on issues of electoral redistricting.
Duchin's research looks at the metric geometry of groups and surfaces, often by zooming out to the large scale picture. Lately she has focused on geometric counting problems, in the vein of the classic Gauss circle problem, which asks how many integer points in the plane are contained in a disk of radius r. Her graduate training was in low-dimensional topology and ergodic theory, focusing on an area called Teichmüller theory, where the object of interest is a parameter space for geometric structures on surfaces.
Duchin has also worked and lectured on issues in the history, philosophy, and cultural studies of math and science, such as the role of intuition and the nature and impact of ideas about genius. She is involved in a range of educational projects in mathematics: she is a veteran visitor at the Canada/USA Mathcamp for talented high school students; has worked with middle school teachers in Chicago Public Schools, developed inquiry-based coursework for future elementary school teachers at the University of Michigan, and briefly partnered with the Poincaré Institute for Mathematics Education at Tufts.


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Peter Vanderkaay (* 12. Februar 1984 in Rochester Hills, Michigan) ist ein US-amerikanischer Schwimmer, der sich auf die längeren Freistilstrecken spezialisiert hat. Er studiert und trainiert an der University of Michigan.

Erfolge
 mehrfacher Medaillengewinner bei der Universiade 2003 in Daegu/Südkorea
 Olympiasieger 2004 in Athen mit der US-amerikanischen 4-mal-200-Meter-Freistilstaffel
 Weltmeister 2005 in Montreal mit der 4-mal-200-Meter-Freistilstaffel
 Olympiasieger 2008 in Peking mit der US-amerikanischen 4-mal-200-Meter-Freistilstaffel

Rekorde
Sein am 13. August 2008 in Peking mit Phelps, Berens und Lochte aufgestellter Weltrekord über 4 × 200 m Freistil wurde am 31. Juli 2009 um eine Hundertstel unterboten.

Weblinks
 Offizielle Website von Peter Vanderkaay (englisch)

Teilnehmer der Olympischen Sommerspiele 2004
Teilnehmer der Olympischen Sommerspiele 2008
Teilnehmer der Olympischen Sommerspiele 2012
Schwimmer (Vereinigte Staaten)
Olympiateilnehmer (Vereinigte Staaten)
Olympiasieger (Schwimmen)
Weltmeister (Schwimmen)
US-Amerikaner
Geboren 1984
Mann
Teilnehmer der Sommer-Universiade 2003
US-amerikanischer Meister (Schwimmen)
Universiadeteilnehmer (Vereinigte Staaten)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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San Jose once again has direct access to bay
SAN JOSE, Calif. —
San Jose water enthusiasts and nature lovers once again have direct access to San Francisco Bay with the opening of a new boat-launching facility.
The facility, called Alviso Marina, opened Saturday in San Jose's Alviso community. It includes a pier for motorized vessels and another for kayaks and canoes.
The area was once home to a marina that provided access to the bay, but that was abandoned in 1985 when the channel became clogged with silt.
The new facility provides access to the bay through a 4-mile-long channel.
A county official says with dredging, boats up to 30-feet will be able make their way through the channel at high tide.
The new ramps and piers were scheduled for completion in 2007, but environmental studies, land-use issues and funding matters delayed the work.
Information from: San Jose Mercury News, https://www.sjmercury.com


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We Were All So Young
Almost 30 years ago, I had a remarkable dream that I immediately knew had significant prophetic implications. I was deeply involved in Christian music in those days, and had an intense desire to be a vessel of honour whenever I was given the opportunity to minister in music. It was common to engage in prayer with the pastor or evangelist that would give the message that would invariably follow the music, and I was profoundly honoured to be used by God in the cultural art form known as contemporary Christian music.
In the dream, I saw a Christian music group performing at some point in what I perceived was the somewhat future. They were seedy looking, and an air of worldliness encompassed them from head to toe. One of them was smoking a cigarette, and they all had that sullen look that the rebellious rock generation found so familiar; and yet this was considered a "Christian" rock band.
After awakening from the dream, the LORD spoke to me that this imagery communicated the deterioration of spiritual purity that would eventually overtake the then nascent Christian pop music culture. As the years went by, I saw the reality of the Christian music industry become conformed to the prophetic understanding I had seen so many years previously. In the process, the LORD broke the bondage of music that had so completely enslaved me, and slowly reconstructed me into a vessel that could be used in a ministry of Bible prophecy.
The ironies in this story are almost endless, for the aversion to the pop culture that so many ministers held was, at the time, a refusal to recognize that God was indeed moving in the social constructs of our time. Now the roles have been reversed, and significant numbers of the churches have gradually yielded to the cultural inertia in an attempt at remaining relevant. It's not that I now see music as intrinsically bad - it's that the Christian leadership has consistently refused to follow where GOD wanted them to go.
I see a good illustration of this in the ministry that GOD has given me. In what can only be a supernatural revelation realized in the context of Bible prophecy, I've had numerous prophecies strikingly fulfilled with incredible specificity. I preach from the King James Version of the Bible, and have a consistently orthodox outlook in that I teach Christ will physically return in the near future. I espouse the doctrine of the Trinity, Justification by Faith, and so forth.
And yet, although I've done 5 national speaking tours in recent times, I haven't spoken in a church in years. In my home country, in the religious arena, I am completely without honour. In fact, under the present circumstances, it would be extremely unrealistic to think that I will ever be invited to speak in any church within a few hundred miles of my home.
At the same time, I am acutely aware that if I were to pursue the opportunity, I could get out an old guitar, and get an invitation to play in a Christian church within a matter of hours. In fact, I could probably get paid for the effort. What events could possibly conspire to create such a strange dichotomy?
Many have commented on the obvious spiritual entropy in what used to pass for the behavioural center in the secular arena. The families personified by Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best have given way to The Osbournes and Will and Grace. The purists that worried about Elvis' pelvic propensities were right - but it's not the Marilyn Mansons that are the threat, it's the more benign "Christianized" version of Britney Spears or the latest packaged 'boy band' that supposedly posits a pop version of the Gospel.
Embarking on a rare trip down musical memory lane the other day, I listened to an old Amy Grant CD that had been sent out to radio and industry movers and shakers. After the tasty little title track (which was being heavily promoted at the time) was a heartfelt monologue from the pop star in which she waxed eloquently about the folksy family life on the farm in Tennessee - with then husband Gary Chapman.
Alas, Gary's gone and country icon Vince Gill now sleeps with the still appealing Amy. Far beyond the sub-culture that was contemporary Christian music, Amy is now starring in a network television series. Ironically, as I was wistfully looking back on those early days of pop Christian music, the next tune I cued up was called We Were All So Young - a melancholy account of the story of Christian music penned by Gospel rock music veteran Randy Stonehill. A moody lament that longs for the clarity and purity of the early Christian music that was bathed in the Holy Spirit, the lyrics poignantly demonstrate the collective regrets of so many of pop Christian music's pioneers.
As if to add their approval to the sentiment expressed in the song, Stonehill was joined by contemporary Christian music heavyweights like Larry Norman, Phil Keaggy, Russ Taff, Barry McGuire, Paul Stookey, Annie 'the poet' Herring, and even the legendary band known as Love Song:
"It was rock n roll about the Gospel truth,
and it caused a stir that was front page news,
and we quickly learned that you can't please everyone.
But we wanted to stand for what is real,
for more than the money or the record deal,
as the critics all sneered we sang at the top of our lungs,
we were all so young...."
Utilizing the modern analysis driven systematic marketing methodologies that capitalize on local demographic data gathering, the American mega church has declared their success is proof positive we are in a revival. In spite of the fact that vast numbers of churches still preach JESUS and declare the Bible to be the Word of God, the country has come to what the experts call 'the post-Christian era.'
Even when the leaders sense that something has gone desperately wrong, they are all in the spiritual quicksand of non-discernment, and the more they struggle the more contrived and artificial the remedies they offer. The simple truth is, GOD wants the Christians - but not the churches. Deeply immersed in the legal and intellectual constructs of the "Christian" world, the leaders of the "churches" can't fathom a Gospel without their tutelage, their theological perspectives, or their tax incentives.
Like the Pharisees of old, the church hierarchy cannot envision a move by God that is completely apart from what they are absolutely certain is true. "We have our father Abraham!" has been replaced by "We preach the Bible!" - and anyone or anything that steps outside of that legislated grace must be of the Devil.
But God is Sovereign and He has made His will known. He has told His people to "come out of her" but most have simply redefined the "her" so they can still feel comfortable in their non-compliance to His compulsory directive. He won't be mocked and the inevitable result of Hosea's God breathed declaration that "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because thou hast rejected knowledge" has already resulted in the great "falling away" so plainly prophesied by Paul the Apostle.
We were all so young, but now America's Christians are at the end of the line. The spiritual bankruptcy of the church exponentially dwarfs the corrupt accounting debt-bomb threatening our entire financial order. The only course of action that makes any sense at all is to try to come face to face with JESUS CHRIST through intensely seeking to do the will of the Father. The Remnant does it without the comfort of fellowship, conveniently located buildings, or emotionally charged support mechanisms such as immersing ourselves in the world of "Christian" culture.
Those of us in the remnant are out in the spiritual wilderness, and it's become painfully evident this is precisely where God wants us to be. If you'd like to wake up from your longest dream, I would urgently advise you to come out of the whore the Christian church has become, and look at these issues as if your life depends upon it. The truth is, it does.
January 20, 2003 - James Lloyd
Criminals In Christian Music


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Cadwalader Elects Five New Partners
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, a leading counselor to global financial institutions and corporations, today announced that five attorneys have been elected partners of the firm.
"I am extremely pleased that these five talented attorneys have been elected to the firm's partnership," said W. Christopher White, Chairman of Cadwalader. "Their collective expertise and experience spans a wide-range of practice areas and industries and has included work on numerous complex and high-profile matters. These individuals demonstrate the qualities we strive to develop in all of our attorneys – strong legal acumen and the ability to serve as trusted business advisors to our clients – and together they strengthen the sophisticated counsel we provide to our clients on their most important issues."
The new partners are:
Joseph Beach represents investment banks, asset managers, commercial paper conduits and fund managers in secured financings, CLOs and CDOs, and other asset-backed securitizations. He has extensive experience in asset-backed commercial paper facility origination and restructurings, as well as CLO/CDO management rights acquisitions and dispositions. Joseph received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Duke University School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif, his B.A., cum laude, from Davidson College, and an M.A. in International Relations from Duke University Graduate School.
Shlomo Boehm has a diverse federal income practice that covers a broad range of matters. He works on securitizations, investment fund structuring, structured finance transactions, derivatives and financial product development, cross-border lending transactions, medium-term note programs, and insurance linked securities. He also has experience with mergers and acquisitions, workouts, IPOs, tax controversies and not-for-profit health care matters. Shlomo graduated from Ner Israel Rabbinical College in 1999 and Columbia Law School, where he was twice named a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.
Athena Eastwood represents financial institutions, hedge funds, energy and commodity companies, and agricultural cooperatives in government investigations and regulatory, legislative and compliance matters involving commodities and derivatives. She has extensive experience with respect to all aspects of implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act and its impact on swap dealers, end-users, futures commission merchants, commodity pool operators, and commodity trading advisors. Athena also advises clients with respect to a wide range of transactional matters relating to the purchase and sale of physical commodity assets, including crude oil, natural gas, coal, environmental commodity products, and agricultural commodities. Athena received a B.A. from Georgetown University and her J.D. from University of Virginia Law School, where she currently serves as an adjunct professor teaching a class on energy commodities and derivatives regulation, and previously served as executive editor of the Virginia Environmental Law Journal.
Robert Kim has extensive experience in the commercial mortgage-backed securities marketplace and in structured finance transactions, including those involving CMBS, real estate CLOs and CDOs, structured mortgage and mezzanine loan participations, and a variety of other forms of financing involving real estate and other assets. His experience includes representation of issuers, underwriters, loan sellers and collateral managers in public and private offerings of commercial mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities, and representation of institutional investors in secondary market transactions. Robert received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law and his A.B. from Harvard University.
Michael Lazaroff represents companies in complex litigation, including governmental actions, multidistrict actions, class actions and international litigation across a range of industries, including beverage, pharmaceutical, medical device, waste, securities and airline. He has experience in several different areas of substantive law, including both private and governmental antitrust counseling, litigation and investigations (including both civil and criminal government investigations), distributor and bottler litigation, and litigation involving feuding partners. Michael has also been involved in matters pertaining to the laws of numerous foreign countries. He earned his A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard University and received his J.D., with distinction, from Stanford Law School, where he was Senior Articles and Submissions Editor of the Stanford Journal of International Law.
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text:
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Holocaust lesson vital in wake of Charlie Hebdo attacks
Manchester Digital Collections launch
Researchers bid to slow down heart failure
We need to re-think health data sharing and public trust, says publication
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In the wake of the Paris terror attacks and rising anti-Semitism, a series of lectures at The University of Manchester will examine lessons from the Second World War to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January).
Seventy years on from the liberation of Auschwitz, the University will launch the Bogdanow Lectures – in honour of Fanni Bogdanow, a former Professor and child refugee who fled Nazi Germany and bequeathed all her money to the University in her will.The inaugural Bogdanow Lectures will be given by Professor Christopher Browning - a world renowned professor and a pioneer in Holocaust Studies – who will examine what we can learn from both the perpetrators and the victims of the Nazi genocide.
Dr Jean-Marc Dreyfus, Reader in Holocaust Studies at The University of Manchester, said: "The lectures are an opportunity for people to learn afresh the horror of what happened during the Second World War. It's a chance for people to hear about the awful fate suffered by millions of Jews and other minority groups at the hands of the Nazis, but also for people to be reminded of Europe's not-too-distant history."This has never been more poignant than in the wake of this month's shootings in Paris, as anti-Semitism fears grow among the UK and Europe's Jewish communities and as Jews are being killed in Europe again.
Professor Fanni Bogdanow was a remarkable woman and scholar with a remarkable story and the very high calibre of the speaker giving the first lecture series services as a fitting tribute to her memory."The University will host the following lectures by Professor Christopher Browning:
Tuesday 27 Jan - From Humanitarian Relief to Holocaust Rescue: A Young American in Vichy France.
Wednesday 28 Jan - Why Did They Kill? Revisiting the Perpetrators
Thursday 29 Jan - Holocaust History and Survivor Testimony: The Case of the Starachowice Factory Slave Labour Camps
You can find out more about the Bogdanow Lectures at the Centre for Jewish Studies website.
Professor Bogdanow, who died in July 2013 aged 86, fled from the horrors of Nazi Germany in 1939 as an 11-year-old child. She was one of the 10,000 Jewish children rescued by the UK in a mission known as the Kindertransport.
The academic was an only child, who was taken in by a Quaker family in Denton. Professor Bogdanow was one of the few Kindertransport children whose parents survived, between them, the appalling concentration camps of Dachau, Wulzberg and Bergen-Belsen and the ghetto of Theresienstadt. She was reunited with her mother in Manchester during the 1950s.
After receiving distinctions in seven out of eight subjects at Fairfield High School for Girls, she was awarded three entrance scholarships to The Manchester University in 1945 where she studied French.She went on to spend much of her career at the University as postgraduate student, lecturer, reader and professor, to become one of the world's foremost scholars in her field – literature on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
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text:
Mao's cheerleader
Han Suyin, who died last week, was a successful novelist I never heard of until I read this intriguing article on her role as an evangelist for Mao and the Cultural revolution. She denied the horrors of the Great Leap Forward's famines and later admitted she "lied through her teeth" about it. Although she later turned against the Cultural Revolution as Jiang Qing fanned the flames that led to mass murder and hysteria, in the early years she never met a Red Guard she didn't love.
In Han's telling, the Red Guards—the paramilitary social movement of young fanatics—were "clean, well behaved and polite" youngsters who "learn democracy by applying democratic methods of reason and debate." The army's assumption of control over the government was "the continuation of the revolutionary tradition" and "the reassertion of ideological primacy over purely military ambitions." The societal ferment also lent "an enormous spurt to production, to the development of productive forces along socialist lines."
Still, even as she lavished praise on the Cultural Revolution she fully understood its dark side. She epitomized the concept of "useful idiot" but was in a class by herself; useful idiots often don't know the truth and don't look for it, lapping up the lies of the government. But she knew, and still she evangelized.
The closing lines of the article ring true:
Don't imagine that there could never be another Han Suyin. Ambitious apologists for authoritarianism will certainly vie to take up her mantle. And who could blame them? Her works might appear odious to us now, but she had a very successful run.
Imagine that, ambitious shills for the party who enjoy personal gains for their sucking up to a government they know is doing terrible things. Do they really still exist?
Baked by Richard @ 12:25 am, Filed under: General,Great Leap Forward
1 By t_co
I think there's a distinction between embracing the aspects of China that work well and unconditionally embracing the Chinese system in its totality. To accuse someone who does the former of partaking in the latter is wholly unconducive to the real task at hand; that of improving Chinese governance and the Chinese peoples' welfare.
November 9, 2012 @ 3:46 am | Comment
Also–the Xi back injury, yes, was related to someone throwing a chair across the room during a heated meeting regarding cleaning up debts accumulated by Chinese SOEs. Some of the… old families were angry that they, having been originally told to expend political influence in encouraging stimulus, were now being pilloried for irresponsible capital injections. Lots of accusations of favoritism going back and forth regarding who has to pay and who doesn't.
3 By S.K. Cheung
Most definitely, we know the shills exist. Look no further than the Eric Li and Shaun Rein types. The difference is that these guys no longer enjoy the bubble protection of yesteryear, and can fully expect to be raked over the coals mercilessly for every stupid thing they say.
That said, i agree with t-Co. Giving deserved praise (balanced with deserved criticism) would not be problematic.
I am all for praising the CCP for the good it has done. But not for the CR or the GLF.
SKC, you read my mind about S. Rein.
5 By jing
Race treason was the original sin that lead to all subsequent crimes. Being a half breed and a woman at that what more could be expected than shameless exotification of her alien half for her own benefit. She was no useful idiot, just a woman working to collect her silver shekels.
6 By Mike Goldthorpe
Better half bred than in bred, eh Jing?
7 By Formerly_Not_a_Sinophile
Richard, part of the answer to your closing questions lies in success of ultra-hard liners making it into the highest sphere of Zhongnanhai: the thug who replaced Bo Xilai in Chongqing, Zhang Dejiang and equally repressive and thuggish Liu Yunshan. With these two criminals controlling media and propaganda you can kiss any of the meager (almost nonexistent) reforms goodbye. So, while they are not suck ups, per se, they are proteges of Jiang Zemin who just can't seem to keep his nose out of the country's affairs.
November 9, 2012 @ 11:48 am | Comment
8 By Other Lisa
Funny thing about Han Suyin was that she really became well-known for her novel, LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING, which was kind of controversial when it was published, I think because of the extramarital affair and all.
I do think she had some weird overcompensation thing going on that made her particularly vulnerable to seeking validation through idealizing a far from perfect revolution.
Her biography of Zhou Enlai is hagiography-o-riffic.
November 9, 2012 @ 5:42 pm | Comment
9 By justrecently
Don't cry for her, Beijing. Lisa Carducci is still with you.
Recommended: Shirley MacLaine's "You can get there from here". How you can sleepwalk to an early 1970s Neverland for weeks without realizing that your environment is living in terror, and find it all so sweet.
Besides, she's a good writer. Whatever you can say about the book – it isn't boring.
10 By Thor May
Han Suyin was a superb writer. The complaint seems to be that she wasn't a saint. She influenced a whole generation of non-Chinese Westerners when information about China was hard to come by. I was part of that generation, and at the time I read her with pleasure. As with Edgar Snow ("Red Star Over China"), influential for an even earlier Western generation, Han Suyin clearly came under the spell of Zhou Enlai, and was prepared to forgive, or even conceal a great deal for the sake of what seemed like a greater cause. Millions of Chinese people themselves did the same. They were not all hypocrites, and most of us, including instant armchair commentators, might not have "saved China" either if we had been actual actors in the drama. We can learn more by time-travelling our minds into the world of these historical characters and events than by making cheap comments about "shills". None of this post is meant to endorse so-called communist control as it evolved in China, nor its present incarnation. If we can put aside the moral posturing, complex and contradictory personalities like Han Suyin's are a fascinating study.
November 10, 2012 @ 4:58 pm | Comment
11 By Sojourner
At least Han Suyin — unlike some Beijing apologists I know — was genuinely horrified at the Tiananmen Square massacre. Her views DID evolve.
12 By Richard
I'm glad her views did evolve, but for many years she operated as a shill, whether she knew it or now.
most of us, including instant armchair commentators, might not have "saved China" either if we had been actual actors in the drama.
I want to think most of us wouldn't, in her own words, "lie through our teeth" to help cover up the horrors of the Great Leap Forward. That's what I call being a shill, even if there was much more to who she was than that. I do agree, she is a fascinating study.
November 11, 2012 @ 4:07 am | Comment
13 By The Clock
Contrary to what you guys think, I'm actually a supporter of 'universal values'. I am adamently opposed to the CCP party-line of
'each country must choose the political system most appropriate for itself, and the Socialism with Chinese characteristics is appropriate for China because of special conditions of China.'
I'm very very opposed to the above.
I admit that 'socialism with chinese characterics' is good for China, but it is also good for the United States, good for any country. I also admit that Western democracy is bad for China, but it is also bad for the United States, bad for any country.
I support everything the CCP does, except for that. I think 'Socialism with Chinese characterics' is a universally applicable system, applicable to the US, to Africa, to Latin America, to Europe, to Antarctica. And CCP should try to implement it across the globe, so the world's people can be as happy as the Chinese people.
14 By Mick
As Simon Leys points out in a withering 1980 critique of Elizabeth Comber (aka Han Suyin), she was not just a cheerleader for Mao, but for anyone in a position of power in China. She backed Chiang, then Mao, the gang of Four and then Deng. She was a Han nationalist who pronounced what was best for the long-suffering ordinary people of China on the basis of occasional escorted tours of the country. She could then retreat to the comfort of her overseas home and pen more praise for the works of whoever was in power, immune to the terrible consequences visited upon resident Chinese writers who dared to observe anything deviated from the accepted line.
http://www.unz.org/Pub/Encounter-1980nov-00079
15 By Gan Lu
If you haven't seen "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing," you really should. It's the kind of film that could only have been made in 1950s America. Growing up in Hong Kong, it was one of my favorites. If you think that American's don't understand China now, you should have a look – it hardly seems possible, but we understood even less back then. Progress.
Dressing up white people to look like Asians. Funny as hell. Every time the character Han Suyin (played by actress Jennifer Jones from Oklahoma) refers to herself as Eurasian, I crack up. The scenes of family life in China are precious.
16 By S.K. Cheung
To #13,
LOL. You might actually want to consider the recent trend with authoritarian regimes, and how they've been overrun. The CCP in China is actually part of an ever-shrinking circle of authoritarian regimes world-wide. Me, I'd be quite happy to see that trend continue. If you think the CCP system is going to be garnering supporters far and wide, you really need a healthy dose of reality-check.
17 By t_co
The Clock is just a sarcastic troll, pay him no heed.
As for Han Suyin (and cultural figures in general) evaluating them on the basis of their political views is unproductive, regardless of whether we are criticizing them for being insufficiently pro-democracy or persecuting them for not toeing the Party line.
Ars gratia artis should be the guiding maxim here…
18 By justrecently
As for Han Suyin (and cultural figures in general) evaluating them on the basis of their political views is unproductive
I doubt that even a literary critic can leave political leanings (or cheerleading) completely out of the account. Besides, many authors play a role as public intellectuals, too. Can't see why their views should go uncommented.
Sorry, completely O/T…
But just read a news story about a woman in Arizona who ran over her husband with her car because he didn't vote. She was dismayed because Obama had won, and blamed her husband in part because he didn't vote.
Now, i know rednecks and Republicans are people too, but holy smokes. I'm all for people exercising their democratic voting rights, but jeez lady, Romney carried Arizona…
Sometimes, it's as though American exceptionalism has taken on a new face, and is headed in a less glamorous direction.
If there was an America Daily with me as an editorialist, I'd know how to spin this:
It's very tragic, but this shows us that a vote really counts in America. Thank you for the lesson, Arizona.
21 By slim
A slight tangent, but…. suckers are still being born every minute:
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3632894.htm
November 14, 2012 @ 11:49 pm | Comment
22 By Mike Goldthorpe
@Slim
More on our Luscius Angela here http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/13/china-congress-just-beautiful
23 By King Tubby
Yes, for an old Fabian rag, The Guardians daily reportage of this "event" has been outstanding.
24 By Goju
She ran him over not just for not voting, but for also complainig about the election results. But, it is very nice of you to acknowledge the humanity of people with whom you disagree. Quite the step up. (Sarcasm intened)
November 18, 2012 @ 12:56 am | Comment


Happy birthday to our very own, Emma!
What's an event business if you won't celebrate every birthday you know? This stylish floral theme is refreshing for a weekend beach getaway.
Whether it's a small gathering or grand party set up, there's no excuse not to customise your event! Here's a closer look of the table set up.
This little one can't take her eyes of the cake! Time for some dessert, but first, let's take a picture!
Tulip cookie giveaways for Emma's favourite flower.


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Lockdown heightens risk of gender-based violence, says Ramaphosa
By ERNEST MABUZA - 30 April 2020 - 21:06
President Cyril Ramaphosa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says that as the country enters level 4 of the lockdown on Friday, government has determined that people providing services to gender-based violence survivors will be allowed to work.
"As with all people returning to work, they would need to adhere to strict health protocols and social distancing rules," Ramaphosa said.
He also said the coronavirus pandemic was heightening the risk of gender-based violence as women may be experiencing emotional and physical abuse behind the walls of their homes.
"This calls for heightened responsiveness, greater awareness and practical measures to assist women who find themselves in vulnerable situations," Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa made these remarks on Thursday at a meeting of the interim committee on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
The steering committee, which comprises government and civil society delegates, presented reports detailing progress in the implementation of an emergency action plan on GBVF.
The action plan, which was launched by Ramaphosa in September last year, aims to combat violence against women and children through a co-ordinated government and civil society.
Ramaphosa said the protection of the rights of women and children was fundamentally tied to the country's sense of nationhood.
"SA is one of the most unsafe places in the world to be a woman.
"Gender-based violence impacts black and white, young and old, rich and poor, heterosexual and people with diverse sexual orientation, gender-conforming or non-gender conforming, urban and rural."
Man arrested for trying to 'smuggle' girlfriend out of Gauteng in car boot
A man was arrested at a roadblock in Gauteng on Friday after he attempted to "smuggle" his girlfriend out of Gauteng, MEC for safety and community ...
Ramaphosa said the protests that took place last year in response to a series of high-profile rapes and murders of women and girls were a clarion call from the women's movement and all of society for more to be done to combat this scourge.
He said it was clear that a coherent and measurable strategy to deal with this growing problem was sorely needed.
"For this reason, I decided to locate the work of the interim steering committee in the office of the president."
He said he was provided with regular weekly progress reports on their work.
Ramaphosa said the greatest achievement of the Emergency Response Action Plan was that it fundamentally changed how departments involved in the gender sector interacted and collaborated.
"It enabled government processes that ordinarily are fraught with red tape to be fast-tracked."
He said the plan inculcated a smarter approach to using and managing resources because government departments had to stretch their apportioned budgets to meet ambitious targets.
Living nightmare of lockdown with an abusive partner
Being stuck with her abuser under lockdown is a nightmare being lived by a young woman in Gauteng.
Domestic violence drops in lockdown but men are still dying over booze
While the coronavirus lockdown has seen significantly fewer crimes committed, police minister Bheki Cele said it was concerning that men were among ...
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Home > Gifts > Gifts & Decor > Retreat Gifts >
The First Spiritual Exercises: Four Guided Retreats
A radically innovative way to make the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, the classic retreat of Catholic spirituality, this creative and easy-to-use guide presents four retreats on inner peace that are, for the first time, accessible to anyone without getting away from ordinary life or meeting daily with a spiritual director.
For almost five hundred years, the Spiritual Exercises have been available only to priests and religious who could spend thirty days in silence under the guidance of a spiritual director. Now in The First Spiritual Exercises they are available as four retreats on inner peace to people in every stage of spiritual growth. Years of research and testing come together in Michael Hansen, S.J.'s, recreation of the way that St. Ignatius first gave the Exercises as he traveled with four companions, begging in bare feet and dressed in sackcloth.
The First Spiritual Exercises
Four Guided Retreats
Author: Michael Hansen, S.J.
On the Other Side of the River: After Your Retreat, What's Next?
Heart of the Caregiver Personal Retreat Kit


Ukrainian Catholic bishops from around the world at their annual Synod.
Bishops Peter Stasiuk and Terence Curtin will participate in a Synod to be held in the Ukrainian regional city of Ivano-Frankivsk.
Bishop Stasiuk leads the Ukrainian Church in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania as spiritual leader of the Eparchy of Saint Peter and Paul.
"The Synod is concentrating on Vision 2020, what our church will look like in 2020. A week before the Synod, 300 delegates from Ukrainian Eparchies around the world will gather to discuss the challenges of parish pastoral care." Bishop Stasiuk said.
Bishop Curtin is Chair of the Bishops Commission for Doctrine and Morals and Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne.
The Synod will be led by the Patriarch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Archbishop of Kyiv, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, and will run from 30 August to 6 September 2015.
Bishop Curtin will represent the Australian Bishops Conference. It is a tradition for the organisers of the Synod to invite representatives of the Episcopal Conferences from countries where immigrants from Ukraine have settled.
Bishop Curtin will deliver greetings, esteem, and prayers from Australia and present a brief report from the Australian Bishops Conference.


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Rhona Jack
Rhona Jack is a visual artist based in Dundee, Scotland. Her artistic practice is formed by a combination of sculpture, printmaking and fibre art, often blurring the lines between art, craft and design. Her practice generally evolves through repeated processes, it is slow and systematic, much of the meaning behind the work becoming clear through the creation of the work itself. In this way, her practice reflects on the process of making and working with raw materials, exploring its role in the human psyche and its impact on our built environment.
Jack has a particular interest in industrialisation and the subsequent death of industries, exploring the role of the individual within them at the point where tradition and craftsmanship intersect with mass production. She is fascinated by the correlation between the machines of industry and the buildings that house them, linking the two through deeply involved craftsmanship and design. These ideas inform her sculptural works, which tend to take the form of fully functioning machines and usable pieces of design. Her print works are often based on plans and patterns for the larger sculptural works, presenting process as an artwork in itself, as interesting as the final result. Combining these with bold geometric shapes derived from architectural forms, she creates motifs to represent industry.
First Class BAHons Fine Art, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, 2013-2017.
'2020 Showcase' at The Six Foot Gallery, Glasgow, December 2019/January 2020.
'Artists at Glenfiddich' at The Glenfiddich Distillery, Dufftown, Scotland, July/August 2018 (Exhibition One) and August/September 2018 (Exhibition Two).
'Satellite' at Summerhall, Edinburgh, May-July 2018.
'New Scottish Artists' at The Cello Factory, London, April 2018.
'RSA New Contemporaries' at The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, March/April 2018.
'FreshAyr Culture Conversation' at Roseangle Church, Dundee, March 2018.
'Winter Print Exhibition' at Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, December 2017.
'FreshAyr' at Queens Court, Ayr, July/August 2017.
'Resources' at The Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax, Canada, July 2017.
Degree Show at DJCAD, Dundee, May 2017.
'Multi' at The DJCAD Entrance Gallery, Dundee, November 2016.
'Collective No.1' at Gallery 48, Dundee, April-June 2016.
'Fuse' at The Whitespace Gallery, Edinburgh, October 2015.
Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Programme, 2018.
Hospitalfield Graduate Residency, 2017.
Upcoming Residencies
Merz Gallery, 2020.
Top Shed, 2020.
Glenfiddich Residency Award at RSA NC, 2018.
Glasgow Print Studio Award at RSA NC, 2018.
Artists' Collecting Society Studio Prize Shortlisted Artist, 2017.
The Alastair Smart Memorial Sculpture Prize, 2017.
RSA New Contemporaries Selected Graduate, 2017.
Visual Arts Scotland Graduate Award Shortlisted Artist, 2017.
Big Cat Textiles Graduate Award, 2017.
10cm/hr
Stone, Wood and Steel (detail)
10cm/hr (detail)
Solid Structures
Stone, Wood and Steel
Fogliarino (detail)
Steel Tartan, Cooling Pond and Warehouse Wall
HANNAH JAYNE NOBLE
PREVIOUS ARTIST DAPHNE GROVES


text:
Q: Fail safe reading s3_bucket_object with terraform when object doesn't exist I would like to safely load data from an s3_bucket_object. Meaning if s3 object doesn't exist provide a default value instead. Is there a way to do that ?
If I specify the non existing key, I get a failure
data "aws_s3_bucket_object" "deployed_builds_s3" {
  bucket = my_bucket_name
  key    = "path/to/file.txt"
}

error:
Error: Failed getting S3 object: NotFound: Not Found

I know it's possible to do with local files like this for example:
locals {
  file_content = fileexists("file.txt") ? file("file.txt") : ""
}

Is there something similar with s3 objects ?

A: Yes, you can do this with the help of aws_s3_bucket_objects. Specifically, first you will call it with the object key of interest:
data "aws_s3_bucket_objects" "my_object" {
  bucket = my_bucket_name
  prefix = "path/to/file.txt"
}

If the object exists, they keys attribute will have 1 element. Subsequently, you can conditionally execute aws_s3_bucket_object as follows:
data "aws_s3_bucket_object" "deployed_builds_s3" {

  count  = length(data.aws_s3_bucket_objects.my_object.keys)

  bucket = data.aws_s3_bucket_objects.my_object.keys[0]
  key    = data.aws_s3_bucket_objects.my_object.bucket
}

The about will execute if the number of keys found is greater than 0. This is enabled through count meta-argument.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How do I remove an attachment on a Jira ticket? The permission "Delete all Attachments" is granted to the group "jira-users".   I am member of "jira-users".  Though, I do not see a way to remove an attatchment (a screenshot actually).

A: As of October, 2015, it's changed a little and I thought I would post a new answer since this is the first Google result!
According to a forum post, the only way to remove attachments is to open the issue in the "Issue" view and not the "Projects" view, click on the issue, scroll down to the attachments, and then hit the trashcan icon when scrolling over the image.
Source: Jira Forum

It's not directly possible in the greenhopper detail view. You first have to open the issue in the normal JIRA issue detail view through clicking on the issue key in the greenhopper detail view. In the normal JIRA view you should see a trash can icon if you hover over an attachment. If not, you should check your permissions

A: I am by no means a JIRA expert, but on our instance (v4.2.4-b591#591), there is a drop down arrow next to the "+" icon to add an attachment.  In that drop down, there is a "Manage Attachments" option.  You should be able to figure it out from there...