text:
Jerusalem Post Middle East
As Tehran distances itself from JCPOA, ex-diplomat takes case to America
Seyed Hossein Mousavian: Tehran will not respond well to 'bullying' and 'disrespect'
By NOLA Z. VALENTE/THE MEDIA LINE
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani walks to deliver a speech during the Conference of Government's Achievements in Developing Rural Infrastructure in Tehran, Iran, August 26, 2019.
(photo credit: PRESIDENT.IR/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
[HOUSTON] – Tehran, according to a leading Iranian official, is set to take an additional step away from the constraints demanded by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement aimed at stopping any Iranian drive toward developing nuclear weapons.
"We will probably impose limits on inspections, which means that the International Atomic Energy Agency's surveillance on Iran's nuclear activities will be reduced," Hossein Naghavi Hosseini, spokesman for the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, said last week, according to the country's Mehr news agency.
The steps away from JCPOA's constraints started during the summer, coming in response to severe economic sanctions imposed by the Trump Administration, which in 2018 withdrew from the accord, calling it insufficiently strict. The first three steps involved surpassing limits on uranium enrichment, stockpile size and the use of advanced centrifuges for enrichment.
Yet a prominent citizen of Iran has been speaking across the United States to deliver the Iranian narrative directly to the American people, saying this narrative is not sufficiently well known.
"In the absence of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Washington, it is extremely important to help Americans [obtain] a better understanding of today's reality in Iran," Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a retired diplomat, ally of President Hassan Rouhani and for many years the spokesman of Iran's nuclear negotiation team, told The Media Line.
Mousavian insists that the steps being taken by Tehran are solely to give the Islamic Republic leverage in negotiations to reduce or even end the sanctions. But Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, says Iran should pay close attention to the US indictment last week of HalkBank, a Turkish financial institution accused of trying to work around them.
"Whatever Mousavian or Iran thinks that it might be able to accomplish right now has been undercut significantly by the HalkBank indictment," Schanzer told The Media Line.
"The indictment was a reminder to the business community of the cost involved in doing business with Iran," he continued. "[HalkBank] did not acknowledge the restrictions that the US had imposed on the international community and engaged in roughly $20 billion worth of business with Iran. Ultimately, a banker was jailed, the key facilitator was arrested and then eventually turned into a state's witness, and now the bank itself is facing indictments, so I think it is a clear sign that the United States has the ability to impose its will when it comes to [the] Iran sanctions."
Dr. Ephraim Kam, a former colonel in the Israel Defense Forces and currently a senior research fellow at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, told The Media Line that Iran was removing "one by one" all of the limitations of JCPOA.
"Iran is now much closer than it was two and a half years ago to achieving nuclear capability, although it has not said it will break out to the bomb," he said.
Nevertheless, Kam called it a "significant change in Iranian policy, even though in the end they are saying it is not their fault, but a response to the US decision to withdraw from the pact."
Mousavian feels that the main driver of US policy is not President Donald Trump, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (and – before he was fired as national security adviser – John Bolton), as well as Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
"They pushed him to close every door for negotiations," the Iranian said.
Last month, Netanyahu said that Israeli Intelligence had located a previously unknown site tied to Iran's nuclear weapons program. He said at a news conference that nuclear experiments had been conducted at a site near Abadeh, and that when Iranian leaders realized it had been uncovered, they destroyed it.
If true, this indicates that Tehran violated both JCPOA and the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory.
At about the same time, the Reuters news agency reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, had discovered traces of uranium in Tehran's Turquzabad district, and that Iran had yet to provide an explanation.
In light of these developments, Mousavian told The Media Line that Iran would not respond well to what he called "bullying" and "disrespect."
David Adesnik, director of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, wrote an opinion piece for Fox News in June stating that the US need not strike Iran militarily, but should stand firm, using sanctions without taking the possibility of military action off the table.
"Our strategy should focus on tightening the economic chokehold now weakening the Islamic Republic," he wrote. "If and only if the radicals in Tehran recognize that their regime is on the brink of collapse will they come back to the table and negotiate a deal to dismantle their nuclear program and stop their terror attacks and aggression. Trying to appease Iran is a strategy doomed to failure."
Dr. Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security adviser in Israel and currently a senior fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center, says that President Trump is exerting "maximum pressure" to reach a better nuclear deal with Iran.
"The question, of course, is whether the Iranians are, indeed, at the point when they are willing to come to the table," he told The Media Line. "So far, there have been mixed signals, and the latest word still seems to be Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei coming out against it."
Dr. Alon Ben-Meir, a professor of international relations at New York University, agrees with the importance of President Trump communicating with his counterparts with respect to deescalate rising tensions.
"Since both the US and Iran want to avoid war," Ben-Meir told The Media Line, "Trump must make it clear that his administration does not seek regime change in Tehran; reiterate his willingness to enter into direct and unconditional negotiations to mitigate some of the deep distrust between the countries; and publicly state that the US's intent is to have an improved agreement that reflects the interests of both sides, knowing that any new negotiations could not ignore the conditions under the original deal."
There is also the matter of Israel and how it might react to a renegotiated nuclear agreement.
"If Trump reaches a deal [with Iran], he will put heavy pressure on Israel to accept it, at least not to oppose it," Freilich said.
"What [Israel] needs," he continued, "are a few important things, foremost for there to be no so-called sunset clauses. In other words, the nuclear limitations have to be in perpetuity or at least extremely long-term, unlike [JCPOA]."
As far as Mousavian is concerned, Iran has its diplomatic work cut out for it, although public diplomacy on behalf of Iran is not solely for people like him.
"I believe all Iranians who are living in the US should do their best in order to prevent a possible war, to end the US sanctions against Iran and minimize the animosities," he said.
Tags Tehran Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action


Series 'Tis the SeasonChurch in MotionCoffee TalkExit StrategyFavorite ThingsHearts Strangely WarmedHero CentralHow PropheticJohn: Gospel of the great "I Am"King and CountryLast and LostLuke: Gospel of the LeastLuke: Gospel of the Least, Last and LostMade From ScratchMark: Gospel of the Hidden MessiahMatthew: Gospel of the Tax CollectorRide of a Lifetime with GodSimple ChurchTeach Us to PrayThe Christmas ExperienceThe PatriarchsThe Way: Walking in the Footsteps of JesusWhat a Mess!Where Do We Go from Here?
John: Gospel of the great "I Am"
Jesus is not only the Gate to the sheep pen giving access to God, but is also the Good Shepherd that leads us to the gate.
The first two "I Am" statements made by Jesus to clarify his divine nature and sacred purpose.
A parable of Pride versus Humility.... and a "Child-like" Faith.
Three separate stories of something lost, but one common lesson on God's amazing grace.


A while back I entered a draw to win a hamper of the newly launched Profissimo craft supplies for the purpose of coming up with some clever ways to use them for Christmas wrapping. In this post and one later in the week I'll be showing you the ideas I came up with and how you can create the same look at home.
Sharp scissors – I used the one Profissimo sent me. Lovely and sharp compared to my usual ones, which have been used for all sorts by the boys as well as by me.
Begin by laying the card flat on your work surface with the side you want to decorate facing up.
About one third up from the bottom edge of the card stick on a length of narrow tape in green across the width of the card.
Using the sparkly tape, cut three narrow strips and place these above the top edge of the green tape. These are the tree trunks.
Next cut small triangles from the wide green tape and stick these to the card, above each of the tree trunks. Depending on how tall you want to make your Christmas trees you'll need two or three triangles per tree.
To complete your card cut a star from the sparkly tape and place it on top of the middle Christmas tree.
All materials used to create this card are from the Profissimo rage in dm stores and in their online shop.


Spend 20 minutes in this fast-faced, demo-heavy talk with CDA Cecil Philips and PM Michael Crump, that will take you through some of my long-standing favorite Azure tips and tricks, as well as introduce you to some that have already been there. Whether you're interested in quick ways to navigate the Azure Portal, making the most of the Azure CLI, or working with IDE and editors, there's something for everyone. Spend 20 minutes now to shave hours off your coding tasks tomorrow.


Our client, the largest Apple Authorized Reseller in East Africa, is seeking recruit a Sales Supervisor to join their dedicated team in Nairobi.
Motivate, supervise and assist the sales team in selling the company's products and to achieve the set targets.
Give assistance and encourage personnel to enhance personal and team target.
Endeavor to establish an outstanding working relationship with service providers in designated field.
Work together with colleagues from other departments to improve efficiency and overall service delivery.
Minimum 2 years' sales experience ;Having worked at Elite Phone shop is an added advantage.
Diploma in a business related field.
Must have Managed a team.
If qualified' kindly send your application letter and CV to vacancies@jantakenya.com clearly indicating " Sales Supervisor" on the subject line by 11th July, 2016.


My own private theory: melody is the result of the balancing of two natural measures of likeness: similar pitch (two notes are close if their pitch is similar in height), and similar harmonically (their pitches are a simple division).
(a C-D, or do-re, interval is 8/9).
A melody is a sequence of musical tones with definitive rhythm, pitch, and timbre, arranged in such a way to create, in the listener's mind, a definitive musical shape.
A melody is divided into measures, and even further, into notes. A melody typically follows a scale or mode, and music that does usually sounds more "congruent" and is considered "less challenging" (sorry, mild sarcasm on that last one). Melody in the western context is usually written in four keys: major, minor/natural minor (aeolian), harmonic minor, or melodic minor. Western music is also commonly written in modes, or keys starting on a different note of the scale other than the first.
However, a song does not have to use Western methodologies of creating music to have melody. Any piece of music, regardless of country of origin, can have melody.
Melodies end on what is called a cadence. These are marked "ending points" of a section of music.
If harmony is factored into the equation, especially with counterpoint, the melody is typically thought of as the dominant tune of the melody (usually the top set of notes because our ear "picks those up" first), although all of them are technically melody and all of them together form a sort of "macro"-melody.
Every song, with the exclusion of drum solos, some avant-garde compositions, a few pieces of electronica, and the like, has melody. Melody can be found in a song even if it is rapped, screamed, spoken, sung, shrieked, or whatnot.
A sweet or agreeable succession of sounds.
Lulled with sound of sweetest melody. Shak.
A rhythmical succession of single tones, ranging for the most part within a given key, and so related together as to form a musical whole, having the unity of what is technically called a musical thought, at once pleasing to the ear and characteristic in expression.
⇒ Melody consists in a succession of single tones; harmony is a consonance or agreement of tones, also a succession of consonant musical combinations or chords.
The air or tune of a musical piece.
My Melody harmony Nokia How many melodies are there in the universe?


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Focus: Coming to a university near you: the Dalai Lama and a commencement controversy
Why the Dalai Lama is coming to UCSD. Hint: It's not to pick up a degree
By Peter Rowe
Ever since UC San Diego announced the Dalai Lama as June's commencement speaker, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla's office has been swamped.
"My staff," Khosla said, "is bombarded with requests for tickets."
Requests are running far ahead of last year, although the 2016 speaker was no slouch: India's Muhammad Yunus, the microfinance pioneer and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.
The Dalai Lama is a fellow Nobelist (1989, also peace) and the spiritual leader of Tibet's Buddhists. Invariably arrayed in crimson and saffron robes and a beatific smile, he's a familiar — even beloved — figure. In December, a Gallup Poll of Americans ranked Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th and current Dalai Lama, as our sixth most admired man.
His upcoming commencement speech generated so much buzz, the university added a separate talk for the public. Tickets for that June 16 event will be available online on May 1 at compassion2017.ucsd.edu.
"We should all be excited," Khosla said.
All? Not quite. The Dalai Lama's presence at the graduation ceremonies "will ruin our joy," Chinese student Ruixuan Wang wrote in an essay published by the campus newspaper, The Guardian.
Among the 3,534 Chinese nationals who are UC San Diego undergraduates, that's not an uncommon sentiment.
"As Chinese, obviously we have been educated in a way that the Dalai Lama is a secessionist who tries to split Tibet from China," said Shihao Han, a 25-year-old international affairs graduate student. "Many of us accept this."
During graduation ceremonies, protests are as common as mortarboards. A commencement speaker who can inspire everybody and aggravate nobody is as rare as a Heisman winner who's also a Rhodes Scholar.
"Someone is always going to find any speaker objectionable," said Randell Kennedy, president of Boston's Academy Communications, which helps universities choose commencement speakers.
Kennedy has been doing this for decades, and it's tougher than ever.
"We are seeing more students today who expect to see a speaker they agree with," he said. "They are more uncomfortable being in an environment where they are being challenged."
Big names, big hassles
The famous, the successful, the notorious — universities often seek big names to address their graduates.
Kennedy noted that the current roster of in-demand speakers include Oprah Winfrey, who's doing the honors at Skidmore College this year; Mark Zuckerberg, who'll be at Harvard, which he had left — degreeless — to make a fortune with Facebook; and Harry Potter's creator, J.K. Rowling, whose 2008 speech at Harvard became the 2015 book, "Very Good Lives."
Notable figures have saluted graduates here, too. San Diego State College's 1963 commencement saw President John Kennedy advocating "a strong, sound and free system of education for all." President Bill Clinton challenged UC San Diego's class of 1997 — and the nation — to engage in a dialogue on race relations.
Big names can mean big controversy. During Clinton's talk, a 30-foot by 30-foot "free-speech zone" was established for protesters. The next year, about 100 UC San Diego students silently walked out of the commencement speech by then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Often, Randell Kennedy said, protesters seek to deter a prospective speaker.
"Every year, there's a handful who back out," he said. "This year, there's been talk of some protest at Notre Dame with (Vice President) Mike Pence coming."
Tussles over who speaks on campus often reflect American ideological battles. Last week, for instance, pundit Ann Coulter tangled with the UC Berkeley administration, after the latter canceled her scheduled talk this month on campus.
Rocked by several recent political protests that turned violent, the university cited safety concerns and offered Coulter another date and time. She refused, vowing to appear at the original time and place — or sue.
Is this about scheduling and security or censorship? Coulter, a fiery conservative, had been invited by a campus Republican group. Berkeley, meanwhile, is routinely described as a hotbed of liberalism.
The Dalai Lama, in contrast, is often seen as apolitical. That wasn't true in the 1950s, when he was the titular ruler of Tibet. After an abortive attempt to oust Chinese authorities and troops, he fled to India and established a government in exile.
In March 2011, though, he resigned from "formal authority." Today, the Dalai Lama advocates more autonomy for Tibet but not independence.
He spreads "a global message of universal responsibility, kindness and compassion," said Lama Tenzin Dhonden, a Lake Elsinore resident whose official title is "Personal Emissary for Peace to His Holiness the Dalai Lama."
"He is loved and appreciated by people all over the world," Dhonden said.
His talks this June are not expected to vary significantly from "Compassion Without Borders," the apolitical speech he gave in 2012 at UC San Diego, San Diego State University and the University of San Diego. That's fine with Khosla.
"Certain messages have to be delivered multiple times to sink in. I think a message of love, compassion, harmony clearly have to be delivered multiple times," the chancellor said.
"I think we need a refresh of His Holiness to come here and enlighten us and get us more excited one more time."
Who could object?
Pope and politics
As a professor of political economy at Chaminade University and adjunct senior fellow at Honolulu's East-West Center, Christopher McNally studies China.
But when he thinks about Chinese attitudes toward the Dalai Lama, he's reminded of local politics in his home state.
"We've had a Hawaiian separatist movement here," McNally said. UC San Diego hosting the Dalai Lama "would be like the Chinese coming here and giving them a check."
McNally admits this is not a perfect analogy — UC San Diego isn't presenting cash to the Dalai Lama, nor is this taking place in Chinese territory.
"But that's the way the Chinese perceive it," he said.
Moreover, the fact that the Dalai Lama no longer holds a political post doesn't mean he has no political influence.
"That," McNally said, "is like saying the pope isn't a political figure."
In February, the UC San Diego chapter of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association made a similar argument.
"The Dalai Lama is not simply a religious person," the group maintained in a statement, "but also a political exile who has long been engaged in splitting the motherland and destroying national unity."
A delegation of Chinese students met with Khosla to express their concerns. He said he assured them the Dalai Lama would not appear as a political figure.
Nonetheless, Khosla said, the invitation was irrevocable.
That decision bothered Han, the international affairs student. He noted that Chinese students — who make up almost 13 percent of UC San Diego's undergraduate population — were not consulted on the choice of commencement speaker.
"When introducing such a controversial figure into an all-campus event like commencement," he said, "they should take into account the views of minorities and at least listen to us. Then make the decision."
Han, who has been studying in the U.S. since 2015, estimates that nearly half the Chinese students on campus are not disturbed by the Dalai Lama's visit. And he realizes that, in the West, the monk often is regarded as a modern saint.
But he's bothered that more critical views, like his own, are so quickly dismissed.
"That makes me very uncomfortable," said Han, who grew up in Shenzen, a port city in southern China. "Every time we speak, they just say we are people who violate human rights, who have no idea what we are saying because we live under such tyranny.
"If China is such a tyranny, why are so many Chinese allowed to come here for their education?"
The Dalai Lama's visit, Khosla countered, fits with UC San Diego's mission of promoting discussion on important aspects of public policy.
The university, he said, also "respects the rights of individuals to agree or disagree as we consider issues of our complex world."
Unlike the Dalai Lama's June 16 public talk at UC San Diego, his June 17 graduation address — entitled "The Value of Education, Ethics and Compassion for the Well-being of Self and Others" — requires an invitation. Han and his parents, who are flying here from Shenzen, are invited.
He's not sure they'll attend. Some of his friends have already decided to boycott, while others plan to attend out of curiosity. What will this legendary — and, to some, contentious — person say?
Kennedy hasn't had a sneak peak at the Dalai Lama's speech, but he's willing to share the advice he gives clients.
"Keep it relevant," he said, "and keep it brief."
The Dalai Lama's public event
When: June 16
Where: UC San Diego's RIMAC Field
What: Festivities begin at 9 a.m. The Dalai Lama's hour-long speech, "Embracing the Beauty of Diversity in Our World," starts at 10 a.m. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
Tickets: There's a $15 processing fee; optional parking pass is $10. Starting May 1 at 10 a.m., tickets and passes can be reserved at compassion2017.ucsd.edu. There will be a maximum of four tickets per transaction.
Peter Rowe
50 Shades of Comic-Con: What we've gained and lost in five decades of pop culture celebrations
From its tiny infancy (attendance the first year: 300) Comic-Con has grown to become the Godzilla of pop culture gatherings. Massive and exhausting, it somehow retains an aura of manic magic.
Back story: After all these years, Comic-Con is still an eye-popping, head-spinning, energy-sapping experience
Comic-Con is endlessly fascinating. Entering this convention is like being dunked in a swift-moving river of eye-catching imagery. The variety is staggering, embracing everything from Chinese animation to feminist sci-fi.
Will this San Diego middle schooler save the world from superbugs?
A finalist in the national 3M Young Scientist Challenge, San Diego's Kara Fan has invented a spray-on bandage that uses microscopic silver particles rather than antibiotics.
Home charter schools rein in spending of taxpayer money on 'enrichment' amid scrutiny
"These changes are not for legal reasons, but for political and/or public perception," an Inspire official wrote to families.
Stuff the Bus campaign collecting school supplies for homeless students
The drive seeks pencils, pens, notebooks, backpacks and others to help homeless students start the school year off right.
Poway launches pilot program aimed at mainstreaming special ed students
Three campuses serving elementary and middle school students tasked with rewriting the textbook for special education.
San Diego Unified gives progress report on $8.4 billion in bond projects
The district has spent about $2 billion of the more than $8 billion that voters have approved for projects since 2008, with efforts including adding air conditioning and security
Grossmont, Cuyamaca colleges collectively get $1 million grant for online studies
Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have each secured a $500,000 grant to build online career education programs
'Things are looking brighter:' San Ysidro School District made strides under new leader
Gina Potter stepped into the top position at a time when the small district faced financial problems and leadership instability
Southwestern College confronts racial tensions on campus
Black-Latino tensions on campus continue to affect a college that has struggled to overcome other challenges over the years, leaders say.
Some charter school leaders made more money than San Diego Unified's superintendent
These appear to be outliers, as many if not most San Diego County charter school leaders were paid less than $200,000.
LGBT advocacy goes back decades in San Diego Unified
Today the district says it focuses on youth advocacy, anti-bullying and curriculum to support LGBTQIA+ students.
Sweetwater school district investigates sexual assault allegations against Beiser
School employees can be fired for immoral conduct, according to state law.
Grad fulfills educational goal first set in high school and earns his master's degree at 79
More than 3,000 National University students received diplomas Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center. Many of them are adult-learners, juggling full-time jobs and families on top of school work.
Southwestern College withdraws public records request it sent to student newspaper
The Sun student newspaper told the college that it is protected by California's shield law and would not turn over a requested video.
Union-Tribune staff picks for 2019 MLB season
jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutSanders

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When it comes to acquiring an item like a bed mattress that we are too utilized to going to the store and purchase, we have a tendency to be reluctant often. Here are some of the things that you need to understand before you buy mattress online.
Are you seeking mattress sales to offer your bed a brand-new life? Well, the cushion market is all regarding uncomplicated points represented in fairly cheap mattress hong kongcomplex way. It is excellent to understand that mattress sales are getting more and much more frequent. Some of the leading manufacturers supply routine deals on regular and also limited time items. These mattress sales are right for everybody. For suppliers, these sales bring a great deal of advertising and marketing and some quick money flow. Whereas in customer's viewpoint – mattress sales come with unmatched financial savings and also customers looking for budget plan products also, sometimes discover it feasible making a better and also high quality purchase. Being a consumer and also especially the one who is out on a very essential objective of purchasing a bed mattress cheap mattress hong kong – you should keep on your own stick with some principals. Constantly, believe prior to you click the "order" button as today' s advertising and marketing strategies are kind of catches. Following are a few, general guidelines for people that will purchase bedding items.
Hundreds of study' s have already ended that sleep is really crucial to our physical as well as emotional wellness and also wellbeing. Therefore, you have to be extremely mindful while buying anything from mattress sales. Trusted names usually do not place their name and service at danger for yielding even more by offering bad or outdated products.
Well, never purchase an inappropriate bed mattress simply because it is being supplied at a price a lot lower than its routine cost. Continue as well as leave this for others. As a specific everyone learns from his or her experience. In case if you are not still sure about what is mosting likely to work better for you than you could always go for FREE cheap mattress hong kongexamination chances being supplied occasionally. Those that already are struggling with sleep disorders or are dealing with persistent pains need to always seek advice from their orthopedic or a professional as an easy adjustment in your sleep equipment or rest behaviors in some cases could bring fantastic alleviation. As an example think about soft bed mattress. These sort of mattresses fits those that want to rest on their sides. Likewise, numerous vendors are making and offering strong bed mattress on the market. These bed mattress are recognized to be much better for sleepers that such as to rest on their back or tummy.
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Now that you know buying a mattress online will not make you be sorry for at the end, allow's see the things you can do it make your decision as much better as feasible. There are mattresses which are much better for back sleepers compared to side sleepers. Know specifically just what you are going for, and then start browsing for the bed mattress that would match all your demands.
As mentioned above too, among the largest advantages of online shopping is the access to thousands of user evaluations. If the customers are validated, the chances are that they would talk about much more the weaknesses of a product that its great points– this is all-natural for us humans as well as it terrific for you as a brand-new customer to extract the items that do not suit you. Check out at the very least 20 testimonials by previous users before you make the final choice. The even more evaluations you could check out the better. There are rare possibilities that a product is a great deal better compared to exactly what it has actually been defined by the users, however most of the time if the evaluations are credible, it would certainly give you an excellent insight into the experience of utilizing the bed mattress that you can not receive from anywhere else.
When it comes to acquiring an item like a cushion that we are as well made use of to going to the store as well as buy, we tend to be reluctant occasionally. Below are some of the points that you require to know prior to you buy mattress online.
Are you looking for mattress sales to provide your bed a new life? It is excellent to understand that mattress sales are getting more and also extra regular. Whereas in consumer's perspective – mattress sales come with unmatched financial savings and also buyers looking for spending plan items also, occasionally find it feasible to make a better and also high quality acquisition.
Hundreds of research study' s have actually currently ended that sleep is really important to our physical as well as psychological wellness as well as wellbeing. Therefore, you have to be very careful while acquiring anything from mattress sales. Trusted names normally do not put their name and also service at threat for generating more by selling poor or outdated products.
Well, never acquire an unsuitable cushion simply since it is being provided at a price a lot lower compared to its routine rate. Relocate ahead and leave this for others. As a private everybody learns from his or her experience. In instance if you are not still sure regarding what is mosting likely to function much better for you compared to you can constantly opt for FREE cheap mattress hong kongconsultation opportunities being offered here and also there. Those who already are experiencing sleep disorders or are facing chronic pains must always talk to their orthopedic or a specialist as an easy modification in your rest equipment or rest practices in some cases can bring terrific relief. As an example consider soft bed mattress. These kind of mattresses matches those who like to rest on their sides. Similarly, numerous suppliers are producing and offering solid cushion on the market. These mattresses are understood to be better for sleepers who want to rest on their back or tummy.
Once again, you have to deal really meticulously here as it is an issue of your sleep or sleep loss. Trying something new for a couple of days as well as particularly when products are offered with cost-free tests, is not a poor suggestion.
The memory foam cushion comes on the leading as they are the most preferred ones. These bed mattress supply a long life expectancy, they are readily available at a competitive rate, as well as their sturdiness scores are way better compared to their counterparts. You can call it either innerspring cushion or springtime bed mattress directly.
Now that you recognize buying a bed mattress online will not make you regret at the end, allow's see things you can do it make your choice as far better as possible. To begin with, it is incredibly vital that you are plainly mindful of the kind of product you are looking for. Everyone has their very own design of resting. There are cushions which are much better for back sleepers compared to side sleepers. After that there are some which would certainly treat a person with a stiff back much better. Know specifically just what you are opting for, then begin browsing for the bed mattress that would certainly match all your needs. Otherwise, you are most likely to obtain sidetracked by all the options you will see and also finish up getting something that plainly does not match you, your requirements or your way of life.
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The first step to significant change is unifying Santa Rosa Junior College—but it comes at a price. Bernie Sanders' demonstration of an effective grassroots campaign with his average $27 donation to fund his campaign showed how a similar effort can be used at SRJC to leverage the power of our student population of 26,000 if they could agree on how to appropriate funds to affect change. One way of doing this would be to tax ourselves. Forget waiting on the administration and Student Government Assembly; we could create our own student fund provided by the student body. Starting in Fall 2017, the college should include a mandatory $10 fee designated for student services. If this charge were implemented last year, it would have generated approximately $260,000 in funds, which could be used for programs like EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services). EOPS is designed to help those facing English language, social or economic challenges. Developed to represent students who need the most assistance EOPS does it's best, but due to heightened demand it is impossible to support all students in need. If we provided them with these funds, we would help a lot more. Like EOPS, we want to create a culture within our college community that is responsive, effective and helpful. Rather than EOPS running our resources, the Student Assistance Fee could contribute to decreasing the disparity. This gives you, a student, the power to affect actual change, rather than wait for the administration or student government to make the choices for you. Our student population is a major resource that we have yet to tap into and as a unit we can make the difference. SRJC has a diverse demographic each of which deserve and receive specific assistance in their pursuit of education. Students find allies and advocates through school programs who foster their success, but with more resources those services could be more effective. Each person at SRJC has their own unique identity and story, but we have many common denominators. We are all students and want to further our education, but it's more difficult to find a job without a degree. Many of us stress to make a living to attend school while we also struggle to afford food, shelter and healthcare. These commonalities make us a community. We have normalized the struggle of living in Sonoma County and have lost empathy for those in poverty. Too many of our students struggle to get through school. It's time we come together as a cohesive group and provide for our peers out of our own wallets.


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Rufus Cooper III (Rancho Cucamonga, 21 maart 1978), beter bekend bij zijn artiestennaam Young Noble, is een Amerikaanse rapper en lid van de Outlawz.

Loopbaan
Noble was te horen op 2Pacs album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory in de nummers "Bomb First (My Second Reply)", "Hail Mary", "Life of an Outlaw", "White Man'z World" en "Just Like Daddy".

Op 21 december 1999 kwam het album Still I Rise uit. Noble verving hierin de tekst van Fatal.

Tussen 2012 en halverwege 2013 werkte hij vaak samen met RIPtheGeneral (Alias 'Rippa Flippa Brickk') van het label OneWayUpRecords uit St.Louis.

Discografie

Soloalbums
2002: Noble Justice
2010: Noble Justice: The Lost Songs
2012: Outlaw raydahz
2013: Son of god

Samenwerkingen en verzamelalbums
2002: Street Warz (met JT the Bigga Figga)
2006: Thug Brothers (met Layzie Bone)
2006: Against All Oddz (met E.D.I. Mean)
2006: Soldier 2 Soldier (met stic.man)
2007: Thug in Thug Out (met Hussein Fatal)
2008: All Eyez on Us (met Lil' Flip)

Amerikaans rapper
Pseudoniem

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
Molk es un rito religioso característico de la religión cananea, continuado por otros pueblos de Oriente Próximo, entre ellos, los fenicios y los púnicos. Se practicaba en honor al dios Baal Hammon y consistía, supuestamente, en el sacrificio, por cremación, de un hijo recién nacido en perfectas condiciones. Se celebraba en un recinto al aire libre, diferenciado de templos y cementerios, y las cenizas eran guardadas en vasijas y enterradas en el tofet. El mejor estudiado y documentado es el de Cartago, aunque se han encontrado otros en ciudades y colónias, cómo Nora (Cerdeña, Italia) y Motia (Sicilia, Italia).

El rito procede del mundo semita y los hallazgos de Cartago apoyaban la idea de que el molk, como sacrificio cruento, era conocido desde antiguo en Fenicia y desde allí se había difundido por el vecino Reino de Israel y el occidente feniciopúnico, hasta Cartago y sus colonias.

Uno de los autores que ha tratado con más conocimiento el tema, ha sido Roland de Vaux (1964). La opinión de la mayor parte de los estudios venía a sostener que dichos sacrificios nada tenían que ver con cuestiones como el infanticidio y la presión demográfica. Esto resultaba particularmente pertinente cuando se establecía una relación entre el molk y el sacrificio de las primicias, por la que se consideraba que tales holocaustos habrían de afectar de forma especial a los primogénitos. En las últimas décadas los estudios sobre el Molk son liderados por la escuela italiana y la española, destacando la publicación de Amadasi Guzzo (1986) y, sobre todo, las de C. González Wagner y L. A. Ruiz Cabrero (2007).

Cabe destacar el hecho de las pocas fuentes clásicas que tenemos sobre este ritual, limitadas a Diodoro Sículo y Clitarco de Alejandría, mientras que muchos otros autores grecorromanos que nos hablan del mundo cartaginés, como Heródoto o Plutarco nunca lo mencionan. De hecho Diodoro ni tan siquiera lo presenta cómo una práctica habitual, si no cómo un hecho excepcional en un momento de crisis:

La veracidad de este rito esta puesta muy en cuestión, y de hecho es un debate no cerrado en la ámbito académico: por ejemplo, Sabatino Moscati consideró que era más probable que se tratara de la ofrenda ritual de niños, niñas y neonatos que habían muerto por causas naturales (cabe recordar que en la Antigüedad la mortalidad infantil era muy alta, aunque Wagner también abre el debate de hasta que punto las causas eran estrictamente naturales, poniendo la posibilidad de malnutrición o pocos cuidados de manera intencional) y que serían enterrados en estos tofet, en lugar de en las necrópolis habituales, porque a su corta edad no serían ciudadanos de pleno derecho; esta "ofrenda" podría significar, al mismo tiempo, una manera de contentar a Baal Hammon (puesto que era una divinidad con un cierto carácter ctónico, al igual que la mayoría de divinidades agrícolas: Deméter, Dioniso, Osiris, etc), y un intento de que éste ayudara a estas criaturas a llegar al Más Allá de la religión púnica.

Referencias

Sacrificio


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> February 2018
'Islam has been sidelined by politics'
Iran returns to the world
Iran moderated its Islamic aims to secure a strong regional position: it needs to open up to the world and fix its economy so ordinary Iranians, and most especially the young, can realise their aspirations.
by Bernard Hourcade
Shah Abbas I of Persia, engraving by Giacomo Franco, 1596
Metropolitan Museum of Art · Elisha Whittelsey Collection, Elisha Whittelsey Fund
The Revolutionary Guard interventions in Syria and Iraq were Iran's first military victory outside its own borders in modern history. President Hassan Rohani declared the end of ISIS (Islamic State) on 21 November 2017, and General Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Al-Quds special forces, called it a 'decisive victory'. This success was part of Iran's return to the international scene, and followed its diplomatic victory in July 2015 when it signed a nuclear deal with six major powers, intended to end its diplomatic and commercial isolation.
Iran has not benefited much from all this. It is accused of ambitions to be a hegemon, and the Trump administration blocks its long-awaited economic revival by refusing to lift sanctions. After nearly 40 years of isolation, embargos and threats of war, Iran is still a long way from being recognised as a normal regional power. It has become accustomed to isolation as it 'resists foreign aggression' and steers clear of globalisation.
Many analysts look to history for reasons: to the Achaemenian empire in the 5th century BC, to Persian culture or to Shia Islam and its clerics, but the huge changes in society and political life since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 are often overlooked. Nationalism, Islamism and openness to the world have evolved, competing and combining. None will disappear, and the balance between them feeds political life.
National sentiment, at its height under Reza Pahlavi (1925-41, who glorified Iran's pre-Islamic past) and again with oil nationalisation in 1953, has never weakened, despite opposition from the clerics. There is a consensus around the myth of an eternal Iran, the land of the Aryans (iran zamin), which held on to its identity, if not its independence, resisting invasions by Greeks, Arabs, Turks and Mongols, and the threats of the Ottoman, Russian and British empires. The Islamic Republic adopted this heritage, strengthening the core state (1) from the first years of the Revolution as it fought a coalition of Iraq, the Gulf states and the West.
The Supreme Leader and clergy still have great political power, but it is based on their ability to mobilise the millions who fought to defend Iran and the young Islamic Republic
The Iraqi attack of September 1980 (the start of a bitter eight-year war) sealed the union of nationalism and Islamism, and the universalist ambitions of the Islamic Revolution were overtaken by the need to defend national borders. The Revolutionary Guards and Basij militias became national heroes of defence. The retaking of Khorramshahr in May 1982 marked the liberation of Iran's national territory, not the victory of political Islam, which began to decline in importance. The Supreme Leader and Shia clergy still have great political power, but it is based on their ability to mobilise the millions who fought to defend Iran and the young Islamic Republic.
Resistance, not conquest
Iranian nationalism cultivates a spirit of resistance, not of conquest. The country has been invaded many times and has lost wars and territory to neighbours. Its only successes have been raids or incursions, including India in 1739 and Georgia in 1795. Because Persia was both Iranian and Shia, and surrounded by Turks, Arabs, other Sunni Muslims and Christians, it did not attempt to conquer territories, but only to maintain its influence in the buffer zones surrounding the Iranian plateau: the eastern bank of the Tigris, Transcaucasia, the Caspian, the Turkmen steppe, the provinces of Herat and Helmand in Afghanistan, and the Gulf.
After the second world war, the main mission of the Iranian army had been to counter the hypothetical threat of Soviet aggression. The Islamic Republic's military policy is defensive, partly because the embargo on arms sales has denied it modern weapons (missiles, aircraft, tanks, artillery) but mainly because of national tradition. The armed forces, built around popular forces and militias for asymmetrical defensive conflict, could not sustain a prolonged campaign outside national borders. Iran is nationalist but not imperialist, though this still means maintaining effective defences.
Just chatting: young Iranian girls outside a cinema in central Tehran
Kaveh Kazemi · Getty
The veterans of the war with Iraq who hold political power and control the government remember Iraqi missiles damaging Iranian cities. That is why they have prioritised the development of ballistic missiles, especially as surrounding countries have far bigger and more powerful arsenals, supplied by the West. The national consensus is even stronger on this than on nuclear weapons.
Though there was disagreement on whether Iran needed the bomb, Iranians agreed that they should have the right to decide for themselves. The decision to seek a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis is another success for the spirit of resistance, and Iran is proud of having forced the major powers to negotiate on an equal footing on such a big issue. The authorities often assert their respect for international law and now seek support from the EU, Russia and China to counter the US U-turn.
In search of allies
The new policy of opening up is held back by the old nationalism that makes Iran prefer defeat, martyrdom and self-isolation to a victory that would require contact with the outside world. Fear of the chaos and wars ravaging its neighbours and memories of the turbulent revolution keep the system stable. Since Rohani's election in 2013, he has embodied moderation, which makes it possible to preserve a very limited but real democracy and the institutional dominance of the clergy (2).
The Turkic-speaking Safavid dynasty founded the modern Iranian state in the 16th century, based on Shia Islam, but religion became a minor political factor in Pahlavi Iran (1925-79). The Islamic Republic, by defining itself as such, returned to a heritage that helped unify Iranians against the shah. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and the mullahs used the revolution to their own advantage, but had to accept that Iran was a Shia country surrounded by Sunnis, and affirm the unity of the umma (community of believers) to uphold the revolution's universalist aims. They were quick to prioritise radical opposition to Israel to get Iran accepted in the wider Muslim world.
None of this worked. To defend the state against Iraqi invasion, the Islamic Republic had to rely on its Iranian and Shia identity to seek allies across an archipelago of territories. These included Armenians, Farsi-speaking Tajiks in Afghanistan and Iraqi Kurds opposed to Iraq's Baathist government in the 1970s, most of them Shia minorities, some heterodox, scattered across the Arab and Turkish Sunni world (see map), offering no territorial continuity and no protection against encirclement.
Lebanon's Hizbullah was the key ally. For centuries the large Lebanese Shia community had maintained close links with Iran (3). The shah's secret police (Savak) were active in Beirut in the 1970s, partly to support the moderate Shia party Amal but mainly to control Lebanon's Shia clerics, such as Ayatollah Musa al-Sadr, who was in touch with Khomeini. The Islamic Republic used these Lebanese networks to strike, through hostage taking and bombing, at countries that supported Iraq and had troops in Lebanon, such as France and the US. Israel invaded Lebanon in July 1982 just as Iran was unsuccessfully demanding that the UN recognise Iraq as the aggressor in the Iran-Iraq war. The invasion made Iran decide to boost its position in Lebanon, especially with no end in sight to the war with Iraq.
Hizbullah was set up as a stable ally, a major political player in an Arab country, an armed force capable of military or non-conventional action and a spearhead for the rejectionist front against Israel. The success of this strategy became clear with Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000, Hizbullah's entry into government in Lebanon in 2005, and its central role in Syria, supporting the Assad government alongside Iranian special forces and Shia militias. But this is Iran's only success, as it has failed to win reliable support from other Shia communities.
Tradition of political opposition
Shia minorities in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have a long tradition of domestic political opposition, as shown by the supporters of Ayatollah Muhammad al-Shirazi in Kuwait. Though they enjoyed Iranian support, they distanced themselves from the Islamic Republic, which was interfering in their efforts to build a unified national opposition.
In Afghanistan, Iran has always supported the Shia Hazara with religious and military training and humanitarian aid. But the Hazara are not an important minority, and Iran needs the help of the Farsi-speaking Sunni Tajiks to counter the Taliban. In Syria, where there are 10,000 foreign fighters — including 2-3,000 Iranians, most from the Al-Quds special forces — Shia from Afghanistan and Pakistan have supplied many fighters.
The heterodox Zaydi Shia minority in Yemen had no links with Iranians, who are of a different (Twelver) Shia tradition. But the Houthi uprising has united them against Saudi Arabia and its armed intervention in Yemen, giving Iran an opportunity to counter Saudi policy in Syria.
Relations with Iraq are far more complex. The great Shia religious schools and holy places are in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Kerbala, rather than in Qom or Mashad in Iran. The rivalry between Persian and Arab Shiism is intensified by the antagonism between Iran and Iraq, and by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, very influential in Iraq, and his opposition to the Iranian principle of velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the Islamic jurists), which gives the clergy the leading role. The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and overthrow of Saddam Hussein allowed Iran to build a tentative good-neighbour relationship with Iraq; this was based on support for the new Shia-majority government, strong trade relations, and powerful influence networks and militias. But this Iranian presence clashes with Iraqi nationalism, still strong after a century of independence, central government under the Baath Party, and the eight-year war against Iran which reinforced the old divide between the Ottoman and Safavid empires.
Iraq's prime minister Haider al-Abadi is glad of the development of economic ties with Iran and the support of the Al-Quds forces and Shia militias in the fight against ISIS. But he is now trying to assert his independence. Forces directly controlled by Iran played little part in the liberation of Mosul, achieved largely by the Iraqi army's Golden Division. Iran's emphasis on national defence makes it cautious, so all it can safely do is consolidate its influence along the border, in Shia holy cities from Basra to Kurdistan, while supporting Iraq in its quest for unity and stability.
Syria has almost no true Shia population. The Alawites were officially designated as Shia under President Hafez al-Assad (1971-2000) to strengthen the alliance between Syria and Iran. After Yasser Arafat, Assad was the first leader to visit the new Islamic Republic. This alliance has lasted through all the wars, notably the fight against ISIS. Iran feared that ISIS victories in Syria and Iraq would create a huge territory on its borders directly or indirectly dominated by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states.
Shia archipelago
Iran's relations with the Shia archipelago are of new importance because of rivalry with Saudi Arabia, which is worried about Iran regaining influence. Iran has benefited, without trying, from US interventions in the region — the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 and of Saddam Hussein — and from ISIS defeats. Iran sees Saudi Arabia as symbolising the arrogance of the princely regimes that have taken advantage of Iran's isolation since 1979 to build an economic and political empire imposing its views on the region with the unconditional support of the West.
There is a strong consensus in Iran on the conflict with Saudi Arabia and the fight against the takfiri (excommunicators) of ISIS and Al-Qaida; it supports Syria as a friendly, independent and stable power, not to back Bashar al-Assad, who is considered incompetent, but to avoid Saudi encirclement. Iran feels that victory over ISIS, even if reached through a short-term compromise with a discredited Syrian regime, is a justifiable reaction to external aggression as bad as the Iraqi attack of 1980.
A new generation of Revolutionary Guards and militia, victorious in a proactive rather than defensive war, is emerging. The Shia archipelago, as an Iranian foreign policy tool, worries not only Iran's neighbours, but also Iranians who support the strict nationalist tradition — and even those who favour opening up Iran to the outside world, since they fear the Islamic aspect of system will strengthen. It also worries veterans of the Iran-Iraq war and the 1979 Revolution, who see new rivals.
The integration of women into society, fresh generations and higher levels of education have, paradoxically, transformed Iran into one of the most secular countries in the region. Institutional Islam remains highly visible and repressive, but now has to answer the demands of a society where modernity is no longer the prerogative of a westernised minority. Iran is trying to extricate itself from political Islam without a major crisis, just as several neighbours are trying out variants to solve their problems after the Arab Spring.
The integration of women in society, fresh generations and higher levels of education have, paradoxically, changed Iran into one of the most secular countries in the region
Iran's unique feature is a large and diverse middle class, which the Islamic Republic has strengthened, often in spite of itself. A large section of society sidelined under the shahs has seen its standard of living improve. The Iran-Iraq war speeded social advancement in small towns by mobilising millions to become senior army officers, Revolutionary Guards and ordinary militia members. These veterans enjoyed financial, social and political privileges allowing them to join the middle class, or even the elites, thanks to state schools and accessible further education. While remaining loyal to their Islamic roots, this new middle class has started to discover, and enjoy, the outside world.
The recent riots have drawn attention to this class, obscured by the western media's focus on the westernised minority of bourgeoisie in major cities who rose up in 2009 over election fraud. This year's riots mobilised provincial Iran. The veterans of the revolution and of the Iran-Iraq war are now 60 or older; they are not opposed to opening up but, as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei requested after accepting the nuclear deal, they want to continue to 'resist' a change they cannot control and which could force them out of power. Their children remain faithful to the culture of the Islamic Republic, and are under its control, which is far stronger in towns than in major cities. Those aged 25-40, Iran's major demographic, are mostly well educated, know more about the outside world than their parents, and are not afraid to demand greater social and economic justice. They are challenging the authorities, and the methods and corruption of those in power, despite having links to them. This generation does not want to change the government (at present inconceivable, for lack of an alternative), but to get a better standard of living.
Growing the economy
Iran's desperate need for faster economic growth faces two obstacles. The first, which prevents it from opening up, is the lack of deep reform of financial and banking, and a corrupt economic elite. Rohani could not surmount this problem and had to be content with appeasing conservatives to preserve the nuclear deal while hoping that the lifting of sanctions would bring economic growth. But the protests by the new middle and working classes have changed the balance of power by starting a lively debate between those who resist change and those who would rather concede to stay in power.
The second problem is the US. President Donald Trump has not formally rejected the nuclear deal; he renewed it in January, though he said it was for the last time. Congress has strengthened other sanctions, not recognised by the UN or the EU, citing Iran's human rights record and links to terrorism (support of Hizbullah) as justification. In violation of international law, the US bans European companies with interests in the US from investing in or trading with Iran, which has prevented trade from taking off, angering Iran. Since US sanctions are motivated by Iran's support for Hizbullah and its hostility towards Israel, many Iranians, especially the young, want the old Shia archipelago-based policy to be moderated. Yet there is no force or leader to champion such a change.
As predicted by Olivier Roy (4), Islam has gradually been sidelined by politics. Iranians are still loyal to their faith, but have become republicans. A new consensus, favouring opening up Iran, unites the middle class, including those who respect the heritage of the revolution, of resistance during the war and of Islam.
To see Iran today solely in terms of Shiism and activism, as embodied by Hizbullah, is to ignore the social and political changes of the last 40 years. Iran is becoming a leading actor in the Middle East, disturbing the regional order, but its current strength may be more related to its ability to make friends, the integration of women into society, its potential for economic growth and the influence of artists. The state remains despotic, and the internal political struggle is far from over, but the issues at stake in the fight against jihadism call for reality and change to be put before myths.
Iran's efforts to export the Islamic Revolution, which included ambitions for independence, freedom and republicanism, were held back in the 1980s. But the current movement to open up has given new life to these ambitions, especially in the 'republics' between Afghanistan and Lebanon, where Iran has always had influence. (Between Oman and Jordan are monarchies over which Iran has never had much influence.) After resisting to proclaim Islamic and national identity, and then organising a regional influence network, Iran wants to assert its uniqueness as an economic, industrial and cultural power.
Iran's rivalry with Saudi Arabia is less about Arab-Iranian or Sunni-Shia differences than about the control of politics and society. To avoid military escalation, people are talking about a non-aggression pact similar to the Helsinki accords of 1975 between the West and the Soviet Union. Iran and Saudi Arabia, though opposed on all issues, are the only powers capable of imposing a minimum level of security in the region to protect exports of oil and gas and meet the aspirations of their people.
Bernard Hourcade
Bernard Hourcade is emeritus director of the Iran and India research team at the CNRS (France's national centre for scientific research), Paris.
Translated by Charles Goulden
(1) Bernard Hourcade, 'Nationalism and the Islamic Republic of Iran', in Meir Litvak (ed), Constructing Nationalism in Iran: from the Qajars to the Islamic Republic, Routledge, Abingdon, 2017.
(2) See Philippe Descamps and Cécile Marin, 'The mullahs' asymmetric rule', Le Monde diplomatique, English edition, May 2016.
(3) See Houchang Chehabi (ed), Distant Relations: Iran and Lebanon in the Last 500 Years, IB Tauris, London, 2006.
(4) Olivier Roy, The Failure of Political Islam, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Mass), 1998.
Iran's far-reaching Shia networks
Cécile Marin Aperçu
français — L'Iran se réinvente en puissance régionale
Español — Irán se reinventa como potencia regional
Deutsch — Iran — alte Nation, neue Gesellschaft
English — Iran returns to the world
Esperanto — Irano reinventas sin, kiel regionan potencon
« Palestine's pent-up young »
« Germany builds an industrial empire »


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Sanandaj (, ) é uma cidade do Irão, no centro-oeste do país e capital da província do Curdistão iraniano. No censo de 2004, tinha 850 mil habitantes. Sanandaj está a 512 km de Teerão, e a 1 480 metros de altitude. É habitada principalmente por curdos, com minorias arménia e caldeia.

Toponímia
O topónimo "Sanandaj" é a forma arabizada de "Sena Dej" (Sine Dij em curdo), que significa "o Castelo de Sena." Hoje é comummente denominada Sine em curdo.

História
Sanandaj é uma cidade relativamente nova, construída há menos de quatrocentos anos pelo principado de Ardalã no . Após a conquista islâmica em 642, a maioria dos habitantes converteu-se ao Islamismo. Hoje a maioria dos habitantes segue o ramo sunita do Islamismo, que é a religião predominante. Isto diferencia-os do resto do Irão, principalmente xiita.

O principal monumento de Sanandaj é uma fortaleza que data do período do domínio abássida. Sanandaj foi muito próspera na época safávida, mas ficou completamente destruída na época de Carim Cã, da dinastia Zande. Mais tarde foi escolhida para ser a capital desta província, e atualmente é uma das mais importantes cidades do Irão ocidental.

Clima
Sanandaj tem clima agradável na primavera e verão. A temperatura média em Sanandaj é de 15,2 °C na primavera, de 25,2 °C no verão, de 10,4 °C no outono e de 1,6 °C no inverno.

Idioma
A língua local é o curdo, que está categorizado nas línguas indo-europeias, com uma distintiva forma gramatical, o sorâni. O Curdistão é uma grande província e o povo desta região fala diferentes dialetos. Utilizando uma ampla variedade de palavras e vocabulário, fez-se com que a língua seja harmónica e poética. O povo de Sanandaj fala o dialeto ardalani, que é um dos principais dialetos do curdo central.

Ligações externas

 Fotografias antigas de Sanandaj

Cidades do Irão


One of the biggest events in the mobile payments space is TRANSACT, the official event of the Electronic Transactions Association. A big event calls for a major-league keynote speaker to kick the whole thing off, and the good news is that TRANSACT has just that based on word it sent our way. The keynote speaker in question? It's none other than Apple vice president of internet services, Jennifer Bailey.
Bailey was instrumental, reports note, in the launch of Apple Pay back in 2014, the event that really saw the mobile payments market take off. Sure, there were mobile payments tools before Apple Pay, but with Apple Pay, just about every device maker and operating system provider around got in on the fray as well, leading to the glut of mobile payments systems we have today.
Apple Pay boasts over 5,200 banking partners in 26 different markets, and even represents loyalty program cards and a contactless student ID at several major universities.
With over 4,000 attendees and over 200 exhibitors, TRANSACT looks to deliver vital insight and networking opportunities to the upcoming event. It will be held April 30 to May 2 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
It's hard not to be convinced that one of the biggest names behind Apple Pay is worth having in play at one of mobile payments' biggest conventions. It's almost like having the inventor of the Mustang show up at the International Auto Show or the like. This is a good pick, and there's no doubt about that. Might there have been better picks? Sure, maybe someone from Square or Visa, who'd been in play before Apple Pay, but it's almost academic at this point to suggest anyone who's much better than Bailey.
It should prove quite the show at the end. Bailey alone is a big deal, but she's just the start of the show. There's plenty else waiting for those who attend afterward.


The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements do not include certain information and footnote disclosures required by United States generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. The interim financial statements and notes are presented as permitted by instructions to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the interim financial statements have been included and consist only of normal recurring items. The unaudited quarterly financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the "Company") for the year ended December 31, 2015. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016.
The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.
Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-09, "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting"
This standard simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, forfeitures and classification of related amounts within the statement of cash flows. Early adoption is permitted.
The Company is evaluating the effect of this new standard on its financial statements and related disclosures.
This standard requires entities to recognize revenue in a way that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 requires retrospective application.
Due to a net loss, the Company excluded from the calculation of loss per share the effect of equity awards representing the rights to acquire 939 shares of common stock for the three months ended March 31, 2016. For the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company had 337 anti-dilutive stock options. Stock options are anti-dilutive when the exercise price of the options is greater than the average market price of the common stock for the period or when the results from operations are a net loss.
For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, the 2019 convertible senior notes were not dilutive, as the average price of the Company's stock was less than the effective conversion price of such notes. It is the Company's stated intention to redeem the principal amount of its 2019 convertible senior notes in cash and the Company has used the treasury method for determining potential dilution in the diluted earnings per share computation.
Dilutive unvested restricted stock units are expected to fluctuate from quarter to quarter depending on the Company's performance compared to a predetermined set of performance criteria. See Note 6 to these financial statements for further information regarding certain of the Company's restricted stock grants.
On March 30, 2016, the Company closed on the sale of its last remaining non-core conventional OSV, the Cape Breton, for cash consideration of $420,000. The sale resulted in a pre-tax loss of approximately $45,000 ($31,000 after-tax or $0.00 per diluted share).
On February 27, 2015, the Company closed on the sale of three 250EDF class OSVs, the HOS Arrowhead, the HOS Eagleview and the HOS Westwind, which were previously chartered to the U.S. Navy, for cash consideration of $114.0 million. The sale resulted in a pre-tax gain of approximately $33.1 million ($20.7 million after-tax or $0.57 per diluted share). These vessels are now managed by the Company for the U.S. Navy.
As of March 31, 2016, there were no amounts drawn or letters of credit posted under the Company's $300.0 million revolving credit facility. As of March 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants required by its revolving credit facility and the full amount of the undrawn borrowing base under the facility was available to the Company for all permissible uses of proceeds, including working capital, if necessary.
During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company capitalized approximately $5.0 million of interest costs related to the construction of vessels. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company capitalized approximately $5.8 million of interest costs related to the construction of vessels.
The Company's stock-based incentive compensation plan covers a maximum of 4.95 million shares of common stock that allows the Company to grant restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, or collectively restricted stock, stock options, stock appreciation rights and fully-vested common stock to employees and directors. As of March 31, 2016, the Company has granted awards covering 4.3 million shares of common stock under such plan.
During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company granted cash-settled phantom restricted stock units, time-based restricted stock units and fully-vested common stock as noted in the table below.
The shares to be received under the performance-based cash-settled phantom restricted stock units are calculated based on the Company's performance compared to three pre-determined criteria, as defined by the cash-settled phantom restricted stock agreements governing such awards. The actual number of shares that could be received by the award recipients can range from 0% to 150% of the awards granted depending on the Company's performance. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company granted 391,802 time-based restricted stock units, 989,674 time-based and performance based cash-settled phantom restricted stock units and 33,417 shares of fully-vested common stock.
The fair value of the Company's performance-based restricted stock units and cash-settled phantom restricted stock units, which is the stock price on the date of grant, is applied to the total shares that are expected to fully vest and is amortized over the vesting period, which is generally three years, based on the Company's internal performance measured against the pre-determined criteria, as applicable. The compensation expense related to time-based restricted stock units and cash-settled phantom restricted stock units are amortized over a vesting period of up to three years, as applicable, and is determined based on the market price of the Company's stock on the date of grant applied to the total shares that are expected to fully vest. In addition, all cash-settled phantom restricted stock units are re-measured quarterly and classified as a liability, due to the settlement of these awards in cash. In addition to the restricted stock units granted in 2016, the Company granted performance-based and time-based restricted stock units and cash-settled phantom stock units in prior years. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company issued 180,314 shares, in the aggregate, of stock due to: 1) vestings of restricted stock units and 2) the issuance of fully-vested common stock.
In February 2016, the Company announced plans to enhance the marketability of the four remaining 310 class MPSVs. The first two of those MPSVs, which are expected to be delivered in the second and third quarters of 2016, will be enhanced by increasing the berthing capacity, expanding the cargo-carrying capabilities and expanding the work area for ROVs. The functionality of the second two MPSVs will be increased by adding a 60-foot mid-body plug, installation of an additional crane, increasing the berthing capacity, expanding the cargo-carrying capacities and expanding the work areas for ROVs. These latter two MPSVs have been upgraded to a 400 class designation and are scheduled to be delivered in the second and fourth quarters of 2017. The aggregate cost of these four conversions will be approximately $70.0 million and will extend the deliveries by an aggregate of 730 additional vessel-days. The Company's fifth OSV newbuild program now consists of four 300 class OSVs, five 310 class OSVs, ten 320 class OSVs, three 310 class MPSVs and two 400 class MPSVs.
As of March 31, 2016, the Company had placed 20 vessels in service under such program. Based on current contracts and internal estimates, the aggregate cost of this program, excluding construction period interest, is expected to be approximately $1,335.0 million, of which $68.8 million and $35.0 million are expected to be incurred in the remainder of 2016 and 2017, respectively. From the inception of this program through March 31, 2016, the Company had incurred $1,231.2 million, or 92.2%, of total expected project costs.
Vessel charters with Petrobras include limitations regarding fuel consumption. Petrobras has asserted claims against the Company relating to excess fuel consumption in 2010 and 2011. The Company's exposure for these assessments, net of amounts accrued, is in the range of approximately $0.5 million to $3.0 million. The Company disagrees with a majority of these assessments. During the second quarter of 2015, the Brazilian court ruled in the Company's favor related to these claims. Subsequent to this ruling, Petrobras appealed this decision to another court. While the Company cannot currently estimate the amounts or timing of the resolution of these matters, the Company believes that the outcome will not have a material impact on its liquidity or financial position, but the ultimate resolution could have a material impact on its interim or annual results of operations.
During 2013, the Company commenced the process of assigning the in-country vessel management services for its four vessels operating in Brazil from a third-party provider to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. As a result, this assignment has been interpreted by local authorities as a new importation of these vessels resulting in an importation assessment ranging from $0.5 million to $3.5 million. The Company disagrees with this interpretation and related assessment. During the third quarter of 2015, the Brazilian court ruled in the Company's favor related to these claims and this decision has been appealed to another court. As of March 31, 2016, these potential duties have not been assessed or recorded in its financial statements. While the Company cannot estimate the amounts or timing of the resolution of this matter, the Company believes that the outcome will not have a material impact on its liquidity or financial position, but the ultimate resolution could have a material impact on its interim or annual results of operations.
During 2012, a customer, ATP Oil and Gas, Inc., initiated a reorganization proceeding under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Pre-petition receivables from ATP were $4.8 million and the Company has recorded $0.9 million in reserves. While the Company believes that the net receivables are collectible, it will continue to monitor the proceedings, which may result in actual collections that may materially differ from the current estimate.
The following tables present the condensed consolidating historical financial statements as of March 31, 2016, as of December 31, 2015 and for the three months ended March 31, 2016, for the domestic subsidiaries of the Company that serve as guarantors of the Company's 2019 convertible senior notes, 2020 senior notes and 2021 senior notes and the financial results for the Company's subsidiaries that do not serve as guarantors. The guarantor subsidiaries of the 2019 convertible senior notes, 2020 senior notes and 2021 senior notes are 100% owned by the Company. The guarantees are full and unconditional and joint and several and prior to the fourth quarter of 2015, all of the Company's non-guarantor subsidiaries were minor as defined in the Securities and Exchange Commission regulations. The non-guarantor subsidiaries of such notes include all of the Company's foreign subsidiaries.
The entire disclosure for condensed financial statements.


text:
« Lacrosse 2014
Tom Schreiber
Winner	Tom Schreiber's university profile page.
Schreiber has a 2.84 GPA in history. He will graduate in June 2014. His senior thesis topic is on The Transformation of the CIA: A Look at the Agency Before & After 9/11. His junior paper was on Idealism in Suburbia: Examining Post-World War II Race Relations in Levittown, NY.
Tom is a two-time captain (a rarity in Princeton lacrosse) and the unquestioned leader of the lacrosse team. He is its hardest-working player. He is universally respected for his sportsmanship and maximum effort. His coach, Chris Bates, said this about him: "Tom's competitiveness is second to none. He works exceptionally hard, pushing himself and those around him to be as good as they can be. More than that, though, Tom is a wonderfully grounded and exceptional young man. He has made our program better simply by who he is and how he carries himself everywhere on our campus." He has also been a mentor for 12-year-old Nick Bates, Chris' son, who lost his mother (Chris' wife Ann) to cancer in 2011.
Tom has spent two summers in Uganda with Fields of Growth, helping use lacrosse to promote education and economic independence and development. Among his achivements: 1) Taught English and math to underprivileged youth; 2) Coached lacrosse at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; 3) Served as a mentor at the Kampala Juvenile Detention Center; 4) Raised $15,000 to build a primary school in Uganda; 5) Contributed to Princeton Project Fields of Growth total fundraising effort of $23,515 for construction and maintenance of HOPEFUL School in Kkindu, Uganda; 6) Awards: HOPEFUL Friends of the Year Award and recipient of naming honors "Tom Schreiber Classroom Block"; 7) Held clinics/fundraisers for the DREAM 2014 campaign over the last year; 8) Assistant Coach for Team Uganda in the upcoming world games; Organized and participated in post-Hurricane Sandy rehabilitation efforts in Keansburg, NJ in order to help facilitate a smooth transition to families in areas severely affected by the storm; active with "Ann's Love Builds," the foundation in memory of Chris Bates' wife; has volunteered with local kids as part of the Trenton Bridge Program, work, giving clinics, visiting the Trenton YMCA and working with the children in the program; worked to raise funds for aplastic anemia research with Uplifting Athletes; member of the VSAAC; president of IACT (Ivy Athletes Charity team), helping to raise funds to provide support for underserved in region through the PACE center and responsible for recruiting and motivating student-athlete volunteers for various events.
Schreiber is a two-time first-team All-America, Tewaaraton finalist, three-time first-team All-Ivy, preseason first-team All-America, No. 1 overall selection in 2014 Major League Lacrosse draft, named 2014 preseason national Player of the Year by several outlets, has led Princeton in scoring each of his first three seasons, led Princeton in goals and assists as freshman and sophomore, already Princeton's career leader in points by a midfielder (149 pts, 76G, 73A). He could become the first player in program history with at least 90 career goals and 90 career assists.
Lacrosse 2019 Winner
Ryan Conrad
Position Midfield
School University of Virginia
Major Commerce


This unconcerned attitude may well be the consequence of a truly sanguine nature — or just a reaction to my constant, "if this, then that" and "if this date, then this plan" and so on and so forth.
This relates to this dog, who is tight-lipped about when exactly she would like to have a long distance rendezvous with a handsome stranger.
The difficulty is that the Handsome Stranger is far away, and so are two other things I am planning in the next seven weeks: a draft test in southern California and the National Specialty in Minnesota.
Dear Husband: "That seems like a good plan (and leaves out saying, "as I have said ten times before" because he is smart that way).
You get the idea. This happens every day — true story. It is making my head spin.
And can I just point to the irony of wishing and hoping that one of my girls is in season at the Specialty?!
Breeding dogs is complicated — for all kinds of reasons. Dear Husband, of course, agrees, because he is smart that way also.


This old bod has almost 86 years of wear and tear but Praise the Lord almost everthing still works. The only truly inconvenient exceptions are my shoulders and right arm--parts I don't consider optional. I'm painfully reminded of the fact when I try to write, type, comb my hair or carry things but the most maddening situations involve lifting anything above shoulder-height.
Like most folks my age, I've arranged my cupboards and closets to accomodate my disability. I keep my flatware, pans, groceries and dishes in some convenient place between my bosom and knees--though that seems to get lower every year. And, like most folks my age I really, really, really don't like it when things get moved around. Especially when it means I can't get my paws on what I want, when I want it.
It always seems worse in the morning, before I really wake up (as if I've ever really been asleep). I have a routine, an order, a comfy and familiar way of doing things. I like it that and I get fierce and cranky when somebody else messes things up for me.
Early this week Carole took me to the market. When we returned to my penthouse in the sky she began putting the groceries in the cupboards. "No, no! Just leave it!" I exclaimed. "I want to do it myself." She stopped. But not soon enough.
The next morning I drank my juice, took my meds, slathered fresh butter on my toasted cinnamon-raisin bagel and finally poured myself a steaming cup of coffee. One last detail and I'd be ready to head for the computer and catch up with the world---or mine at least. Then disaster!
The sugar was nowhere to be found. I knew I'd purchased a new box the day before. But where was it? I searched high and low (mostly low) and finally spied it waaaay up in the middle of the upper cupboard. It might as well have been on the moon. What I muttered at that point would not be suitable in what passes for polite society. I was furious! Coffee without sugar? My peace-of-mind and whole morning ritual had been ruined. And I knew who I had to thank for that!
I'm barely 5 feet tall. Carole is over 5'9". I admit now that she didn't put the sugar there on purpose but at the time I was convinced there must have been malicious intent. Her good intentions didn't matter. WHAT was she thinking?
After I simmered down a bit I realized I needed to use my energy to find a solution. I still wanted a hot, sweet cup of coffee. I considered climbing up on something to get the sugar. I decided if I'm terrified of falling from low-heeled shoes I'd best keep them firmly planted on the floor. Then I figured I might be able to knock or pull the box onto the counter---if I could find the right tool. I dismissed throwing things at the box---I'm a terrible shot. I also decided I wouldn't try to spear the box with something pointy. Then I'd just have to try to crawl around and clean up the sticky mess.
No, I'd have to find something long and stiff and capture the little bugger. That meant the belt to my robe was out. How about an extension cord? Still too floppy. I finally settled on a wire hanger from the dry cleaner. I took out the cardboard tube in the middle and straightened out the wire. There was a little hook on each end and I bent one side into a wide C. Viola! A cheap and effective sugar retreiver---and it only took about 3 swipes to knock the unopened box to the counter below.
I decided I might patent the idea---but only after I had my coffee.
That wouldn't work after the box had been opened, Lucy! You'd have sugar everywhere! Show Carol this post so she won't ever be tempted to put things away in your house again!!
Wise and resourceful lucy. I loved this story.
As I read your post about the elusive sugar box I was hoping you would find a way.
I have been resorting to a long long handled cooking fork to retrieve stuff that is too high to reach.
Good for you! If there is a will, there is a way.
I went to the kitchen department and used a long serving spoon and got my napkins!!
I have a step stool in the kitchen, so I understand full well the dilemmas of being vertically challenged. Very resourceful Lucy!
If that had been me, I KNOW the box would've busted open as soon as it fell!
Very Very Inventive Lucy! I'm not sure I would have thought of that, but one gets quite resourceful when one truly needs to...LOL!
Thank you my dear dear Lucy for your visit and lovely comment....It was so good to read your dear words....!
I have been thinking of you and wanting to visit you because I now have Skype...! And I thought you had it, but I'm not sure....It is that wonderful thing where you can talk to someone ANYWHERE in the world, Over The Internet, and it doesn't cost anything....! Isn't that just fantastic??
myrtillo1984 AT yahoo DOT com!
I'm another oldie. born Nov. 1922.
Well, you solved another problem, Lucy. Best idea is what you're doing, having everything located within easy reach.
I think they have long handled pincher-type tools to pick up objects. Don't know how well they work, but might be handy for you.
I recall my mother-in-law had some such tool she used.
You might contact a rehab hospital and talk to an Occupational Therapist and they could direct you to a quality source. Also, search pick up and reaching tools on the Internet.
I lost my mom almost 3 years ago and you remind me so much of her! I'm a professional organizer and spent a lot of time helping her to move things around so that she would be more comfortable.
Please know that I really enjoy your writing style and I think you have a great attitude about life.
Lucy, The tool is a Grab It. My daughter bought me one picking up small branches in the yard while I'm on the tractor. I use it in the kitchen to reach top shelf items and things like pound boxes of items are easily lifted and lowered within reach. It is only good for moving heavier items around but sometimes that is all that is needed to bring something in reach. Look into for your uses.
another delightful window into the drama of your everyday. besides the shortness of stature, my problem is a spouse who turns everything backwards (from my view) so the names of things are not visible.
I know how helpless you can feel when something is out of reach. "It might as well be on the moon" is exactly how one feels! I'm so glad you weren't resigned to having no sugar in your coffee (blech!).
I think you are enjoying the independece of being on your own way too much. I remember some grabbing tool that my father had to reach things on high shelves. I wonder if they still make them.
Another wedding sounds very exciting.
Not all Italians were gangsters, and not all Italians fell prey to the god's 1906 positioning. Similarly, not all Irish prey on their own children. But if my family were Italian we'd be the godfather.
Certainly we're on the list.


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