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Belle du Jour – Irina Lazareanu
Take the current belle du jour Irina Lazareanu. She's a singer/songwriter – Irina co-wrote La Belle et la Bete with Pete Doherty, a dancer – she's a former ballet student, plus she's an inspirational fashion muse to the likes of Nicolas Ghesquiere. Not bad eh? Oh yes, she's also good friends with a Miss Kate Moss.
Her distinctive, sultry looks have seen her compared to the likes of Penelope Tree and Twiggy combined with a touch of Erin O'Connor. It's a strong 60s, wide-eyed look that's all so very now – fused with a dose of rock chick cool. Spied on the spring/summer 2006 catwalks she has just completed a record amount of shows for spring/summer 2007. Whether it's Preen in London or Burberry Prorsum in Milan, Irina has been booked time and time again. It's the same story on the photographic front with Italian Vogue covers and ad campaigns for Balenciaga, Mulberry and Anna Molinari padding out her rather impressive portfolio.
Much like many a designer Irina is influenced by the 60s/70s London scene in terms of film, music and books which reflects in her personal style. Despite her rapid success her true passion lies with music and the arts. Interviewed by Women's Wear Daily she said: "I find it much more nerve-wracking to be on stage than to be on the catwalk, as sharing my lyrics is sharing my private thoughts, which is quite difficult."
Irina Lazareanu
Hails from: Canada, mainly lives in the UK
Agencies: Storm Models – London & Marilyn Model Management – Paris & New York
Height: 5′ 9.5″
Bust: 32 A
Waist: 24.5″
Hips: 34.5″
Hair colour: Dark Brown/Long
Images: Self Service Magazine and photograph by Karl Lagerfeld

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Mark Dresser/Denman Maroney: Time Changes
Since emerging in the mid-'80s alongside artists like woodwind multi-instrumentalist/composer Anthony Braxton, drummer Gerry Hemingway, and trombonist Ray Anderson, bassist Mark Dresser has combined a frightening command of his instrument that includes all manner of extended techniques with a remarkably musical approach that often makes greater sense of the more outré artists with whom he's often been associated. With a deep tone and at times intensely physical approach, he's also proven himself capable of playing in contexts as wide-ranging as the lyrical openness of soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom's quartets, the more in-the-centre space of Joe Lovano's trio, and the structured new music leanings of Left Coast contrabassist Steuart Liebig.
Arguably his most longstanding and enduring relationship has been with self-titled "hyperpianist Denman Maroney—hyperpiano referring to the variety of prepared piano techniques that Maroney uses to expand the textural potential of his instrument. Since meeting in '89, they've recorded eight albums—some under Dresser's name, others under Maroney's—and their latest, Time Changes, is a collaborative effort credited to both. Between Maroney's prepared piano and Dresser's extended techniques, the two are capable of extracting a wider range of sonics than one might imagine, this time augmented by Michael Sarin—a drummer on the Downtown New York scene since the early '90s and a flexible player who deserves greater attention—as well as, on four tracks, mezzo soprano Alexandra Montano.
The title refers to the trio's flexible yet constructed compositions, most notably Dresser's "Aperitivo, which, according to Dresser, is based on a blues form but is rendered almost unrecognizable through his and Maroney's harmonic alterations, not to mention a constantly fluctuating tempo that keeps the listener on his or her toes throughout. Montano's wordless vocals also take the piece away from the obviousness of its roots. Similarly, Maroney's "M.C. takes a relatively straightforward set of changes and twists it through a series of complex tempo variations that give the whole piece a staggered effect.
Utilizing an innovative custom-built pickup system in the fingerboard of his bass, Dresser expands the aural breadth of his instrument on "Ekoneni, which begins with abstract motions from all parties, but ultimately resolves into a more straightforward rhythm, although Maroney's use of some form of sliding appliance on the piano strings keeps things from ever being too direct.
It is, in fact, Maroney and Dresser's expansion of their respective instruments' sonic possibilities that takes the programme of Dresser and Maroney originals, all based on complex and precisely structured forms—with the exception of two free improvisations—and opens them up to greater breath and breadth. If one can forget about the clearly detailed arrangements and just absorb the music without consideration, the set takes on a surprisingly effortless and alluring complexion.
When Dresser recently played a series of duets in Ottawa, Canada with fellow bassist John Geggie, his ability to combine improvisational élan with finely detailed composition was in clear evidence. Time Changes is further demonstration of his and Maroney's ability to construct contexts that demand strict adherence to form and a more exploratory aesthetic.
Visit Mark Dresser and Denman Maroney on the web.
Track Listing: Aperitivo; Pulse Field; Heap; M.C.; One Plate; Double You; Harkemony; Lateral Mass; Kilter; Between 17th and Bliss; Ekoneni
Personnel: Mark Dresser (bass); Denman Maroney (hyperpiano); Michael Sarin (drums, percussion); Alexandra Montano (voice)
Title: Time Changes | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Cryptogramophone
About Mark Dresser/Denman Maroney
Mark Dresser/Denman Maroney CD/LP/Track Review John Kelman Cryptogramophone United States Time Changes


The Sierra Student Council has selected its next advisor for the 2019-2020 school year. After interviewing a selection of qualifies candidates the group of student leaders has selected Social Studies Department Chair Trevor Needham as their next advisor.
Mr. Needham is in his 3rd year teaching at Sierra High School. He has been heavily involved in Sierra Athletics and Activities during his time at Sierra. He is the Assistant Cross Country Coach, the Head Girls Tennis Coach, and this year the Senior class advisor. His dedication and commitment to success at Sierra proved to help his case to be the next leader of the Student Council.


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Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears 12/5/2019
Jerry Jones backs Garrett, begs Dallas defense to make play
By Schuyler Dixon Nov. 29, 2019 01:19 PM EST
Buffalo Bills at Dallas Cowboys 11/28/2019
Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions 11/17/2019
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys 11/10/2019
Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys 9/22/2019
Sep. 22, 2019 12:37 PM EDT
Adrian Peterson a healthy scratch in Skins' opener
By The Associated Press Sep. 08, 2019 12:16 PM EDT
Cowboys re-sign March-Lillard, Thompson for defensive depth
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have re-signed two players who were set to become unrestricted free agents in linebacker Justin March-Lillard and safety...
Beasley, Jarwin, Su'a-Filo active for Cowboys against Rams
Cowboys' Crawford returns for wild-card game vs Seahawks
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford is active for the wild-card playoff against Seattle after missing a game with a neck injury that...


Courtroom Mail is happy to inform you that the winners of the 2018 Justice Ayo Philips Courtroom Mail Prize for young Lawyers have emerged. Olakunle Afolabi emerged as the winner with two others in the finals of the competition that took place this morning. 72 Young Lawyers registered for the competition and 13 made it to the finals.
Three questions below were posted for the 13 finalists to answer .
3. A person who is 65 years at the time of appointment of a director of a public company has a duty to disclose his/her age to members of the company at a general meeting- True or False?
THE ANSWER IS FALSE-THE ANSWER IS FALSE.It is actually 70 years.
In view of the above,the following were the first to answer the three questions correctly.
1st – Olakunle Afolabi- called 2016,based in Lagos.
Olakunle Afolabi is hereby declared the winner of the 2018 Justice Ayo Philips Courtroom Mail prize for Young Lawyers. Congratulations.
The winner will have a one year exclusive subscription of Supreme court reports by Lawbreed while the second and third will have a full year basic subscription of the same law report.
We thank everyone that participated and we are glad you did.
Courtroom Mail is dedicated to rewarding our readers in different ways and we will continue to engage in many more rewarding competitions. Justice Ayo Philips Courtroom Mail Prize for Young Lawyers 2018 is hereby closed.


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Stephenson Harwood named Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team of the Year
Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has been named the 'Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team of the Year' at The British Legal Awards.
Presented at a ceremony in London on 29 November 2018, the award recognised the firm's work advising the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in a long running dispute. A team, led by partner Kamal Shah, worked on the 14-year dispute between the NNPC and projects company IPCO (Nigeria) Ltd, which related to the building of the Bonny Export Terminal in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
The dispute involved many hearings in the Commercial Court, generating seven reported judgments, three decisions of the Court of Appeal and one of the Supreme Court, in which Stephenson Harwood secured a significant victory and added clarity to the law on the enforcement of international arbitration awards.
The British Legal Awards, hosted by Legal Week, in association with The City of London Law Society, showcases achievements from across the legal sector.
See more insights by tag
Kamal Shah
T: +44 20 7809 2301 M: +44 7958 272 742 Email Kamal | Vcard Office: London
Rose Russell
Communications & PR Executive
Email Rose
© Stephenson Harwood LLP 2019


text:
/*
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
package com.facebook.presto.spark.execution;

import com.facebook.presto.common.Page;
import com.facebook.presto.memory.context.LocalMemoryContext;
import com.facebook.presto.metadata.Split;
import com.facebook.presto.operator.DriverContext;
import com.facebook.presto.operator.OperatorContext;
import com.facebook.presto.operator.SourceOperator;
import com.facebook.presto.operator.SourceOperatorFactory;
import com.facebook.presto.spi.UpdatablePageSource;
import com.facebook.presto.spi.plan.PlanNodeId;

import java.util.Optional;
import java.util.function.Supplier;

import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkState;
import static java.util.Objects.requireNonNull;

public class PrestoSparkRemoteSourceOperator
        implements SourceOperator
{
    private final PlanNodeId sourceId;
    private final OperatorContext operatorContext;
    private final LocalMemoryContext systemMemoryContext;
    private final PrestoSparkPageInput pageInput;
    private final boolean isFirstOperator;

    private boolean finished;

    public PrestoSparkRemoteSourceOperator(PlanNodeId sourceId, OperatorContext operatorContext, LocalMemoryContext systemMemoryContext, PrestoSparkPageInput pageInput, boolean isFirstOperator)
    {
        this.sourceId = requireNonNull(sourceId, "sourceId is null");
        this.operatorContext = requireNonNull(operatorContext, "operatorContext is null");
        this.systemMemoryContext = requireNonNull(systemMemoryContext, "systemMemoryContext is null");
        this.pageInput = requireNonNull(pageInput, "pageInput is null");
        this.isFirstOperator = isFirstOperator;
    }

    @Override
    public OperatorContext getOperatorContext()
    {
        return operatorContext;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean needsInput()
    {
        return false;
    }

    @Override
    public void addInput(Page page)
    {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }

    @Override
    public Page getOutput()
    {
        if (finished) {
            return null;
        }

        Page page = pageInput.getNextPage();
        updateMemoryContext();
        if (page == null) {
            finished = true;
            return null;
        }
        return page;
    }

    @Override
    public void finish()
    {
        finished = true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean isFinished()
    {
        return finished;
    }

    @Override
    public PlanNodeId getSourceId()
    {
        return sourceId;
    }

    @Override
    public Supplier<Optional<UpdatablePageSource>> addSplit(Split split)
    {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }

    @Override
    public void noMoreSplits()
    {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
    }

    private void updateMemoryContext()
    {
        // Since the cache is shared, only the first PrestoSparkRemoteSourceOperator should report the cache memory
        if (isFirstOperator && pageInput instanceof PrestoSparkDiskPageInput) {
            PrestoSparkDiskPageInput diskPageInput = (PrestoSparkDiskPageInput) pageInput;
            systemMemoryContext.setBytes(diskPageInput.getRetainedSizeInBytes());
        }
    }

    public static class SparkRemoteSourceOperatorFactory
            implements SourceOperatorFactory
    {
        private final int operatorId;
        private final PlanNodeId planNodeId;
        private final PrestoSparkPageInput pageInput;
        private boolean isFirstOperator = true;

        private boolean closed;

        public SparkRemoteSourceOperatorFactory(int operatorId, PlanNodeId planNodeId, PrestoSparkPageInput pageInput)
        {
            this.operatorId = operatorId;
            this.planNodeId = requireNonNull(planNodeId, "planNodeId is null");
            this.pageInput = requireNonNull(pageInput, "pageInput is null");
        }

        @Override
        public PlanNodeId getSourceId()
        {
            return planNodeId;
        }

        @Override
        public SourceOperator createOperator(DriverContext driverContext)
        {
            checkState(!closed, "operator factory is closed");
            OperatorContext operatorContext = driverContext.addOperatorContext(operatorId, planNodeId, PrestoSparkRemoteSourceOperator.class.getSimpleName());
            SourceOperator operator = new PrestoSparkRemoteSourceOperator(
                    planNodeId,
                    operatorContext,
                    operatorContext.newLocalSystemMemoryContext(PrestoSparkRemoteSourceOperator.class.getSimpleName()),
                    pageInput,
                    isFirstOperator);
            isFirstOperator = false;
            return operator;
        }

        @Override
        public void noMoreOperators()
        {
            closed = true;
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Small charities and community groups have received up to £10,000 from the Tampon Tax Community Fund to provide services for women of all ages and backgrounds facing issues such as period poverty, domestic and sexual abuse, mental health and long-term unemployment to build their skills, confidence and self-esteem.
"MK Community Foundations is extremely proud to support 2 local projects that support women and girls to gain skills and knowledge aimed at improving aspirations, wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem."
All People Active are an organisation who aim to remove the barriers and reduce the inequality of opportunity that exists for all people. Their aim is to provide free and affordable sport or physical activity for all people to help improve their physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing.
The 'Us Girls Get Active' programme that MK Community Foundation have supported aims to empower young women who have perhaps faced challenging circumstances, to be more active and healthy while also improving their confidence and self-esteem. All People Active will provide dance, sport and fitness classes that will help teenage girls, young mums and families to increase their physical activity, and in doing so, positively impact their physical and mental well-being.
MK Community Foundation have also funded MK Gallery for a series of workshops and talks that will be exclusively for young women within Milton Keynes to help them discover how their skills can contribute to the creative industry. The programme, called 'The Work Life Project' will encourage the women taking part to be more confident in their own abilities and to build their knowledge and skills to help them pursue a career in the creative industry. The project will particularly look to work with BAME young women and women from disadvantaged backgrounds.
We are very pleased to be supporting these projects and look forward to hearing all about the positive impact that they have on women and girls in our local community.


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Can Brazil Defend Democracy in Venezuela?
Oliver Stuenkel
Summary: Brazil has so far taken a noticeably soft line toward the current crisis in Venezuela, but its passive rhetoric is not proof that it does not care about defending democracy in the region.
Rising Democracies Network
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in September 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama appealed to rising democracies such as Brazil to help spread the democratic message globally, declaring that "we need your voices to speak out" and reminding them that "part of the price of our own freedom is standing up for the freedom of others." Yet over the past several months, various major Western media organizations and other influential Western voices have strongly criticized Brazil's reluctant stance on the deepening political crisis in neighboring Venezuela, where more than 30 people have been killed and more than 1,500 detained in a wave of angry protests against the government of President Nicolás Maduro and a paralyzing standoff between the government and the main Venezuelan opposition parties.
An article in the Economist, for example, recently stated that "most of the region has been uncritical of Mr Maduro since the protests began in early February; Brazil, the regional heavyweight, has been characteristically mute." The Wall Street Journal, in an article entitled "Venezuela Crackdown Meets Silence in Latin America," reported that "Brazil's president Dilma Rousseff has stayed on the sidelines." A New York Times article reported that Dilma Rousseff "has not commented on the crisis in Venezuela" and that "Brazil's foreign minister, Luiz Alberto Figueiredo, has also sidestepped any Maduro critique." The Times quoted Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, saying that "now it's, 'We're focused on democracy in our own country, but if something happens with a neighbor we are not going to say anything.'"
Criticism has come not just from sources outside Brazil but from within Brazil as well. Former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso wrote in early March that Brazil's current government was acting with "incredible timidity" in the face of human rights abuses in Venezuela.
Bitter Polarization
The Venezuelan government's response to the demonstrations has indeed been deeply problematic. As substantiated by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Venezuelan police, or in some case armed militia groups (known in Venezuela as colectivos), have detained, beaten, or robbed numerous reporters. According to the CPJ, "media blackouts, arrests and a campaign of harassment against dissenting voices has become a hallmark of this administration." The United Nations and its secretary general have expressed concern about human rights violations in Venezuela and asked for the deaths to be investigated.
In late February, Twitter users in Venezuela periodically lost access to photos on the platform, and after that, San Cristobal, an opposition stronghold, reportedly lost Internet connectivity altogether. As quoted in the New York Times, an association of Spanish journalists denounced the "genuine information blackout" in Venezuela and said in a statement, "The freedom of the press is a fundamental right in democracies, which is why all efforts to cut it off are a grave setback." The arrest of opposition figure Leopoldo López on trumped-up charges and the exclusion of opposition politician María Corina Machado from the Venezuelan congress for supposedly violating the constitution by addressing the Organization of American States at the invitation of Panama have further strengthened international criticism. Furthermore, two mayors have been sentenced to a year in jail for failing to remove road barricades put up by antigovernment activists.
Of course the political situation is far from a simple story of wrong against right. Some protesters have initiated violence and the opposition bears some responsibility for so many demonstrations turning violent. Yet clearly the government has reacted with undue harshness, is demonstrating some significant antidemocratic tendencies, and is not defining any productive path toward an end to the political standoff.
A Soft Line
Brazil has so far taken a noticeably soft, even passive line toward the current crisis. Rather than at least issuing statements pointing out that both the Venezuelan government and opposition share some of the blame, Brazil has co-issued three rather bland communiqués through the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and Mercosur. The latter statement was particularly controversial among those hoping to see Brazil productively engaged, as it was generally interpreted as being soft on the Maduro government, characterizing protesters as antidemocratic forces.
In response, Brazil's Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo defended his country's strategy, arguing in an interview with Folha de São Paulo that the Mercosur statement had been "misunderstood." Yet when the reporter asked whether Mercosur leaders had tried to send a message to President Maduro, the foreign minister replied that "Maduro did not need a message"—hardly a sign that Brazil was eager to try to exert some positive influence on the Venezuelan government.
It would be wrong, however, to argue that Brazil's passive rhetoric so far vis-à-vis the Venezuelan crisis is proof that it does not care about defending democracy in the region. Quite the contrary: over the past decade, helping consolidate democracy in the region has become one of Brazil's principal foreign policy goals. Starting during Cardoso's presidency (1995–2002), Brazil has often assertively engaged in political events in the region, diplomatically intervening when political crises have threatened democracy. Partly to strengthen regional institutions and partly out of fear of being seen as a bully, Brazil usually acts through Mercosur and UNASUR—a strategy that, while correct in principle, at times leads to less agile actions than acting bilaterally might. In addition, Brazil has been more concerned about constitutional crises and the possibility of an undemocratic removal of any presidents in the region than about what some Brazilian officials consider to be "procedural aspects" of democracy, such as free speech.
An important test of regional leadership is whether Brazil can help bring the government and the opposition in Venezuela to the table to overcome the current standoff. A negotiated settlement must oblige the government to disband the armed militia groups, release all those imprisoned for peacefully taking part in street protests, end restrictions on both the printed media and social media, and allow greater space for political activity generally. In return, the opposition must give up any aspirations of ousting President Maduro outside the normal electoral channels, and commit to curbing violence in protests.
In April 2002, President Cardoso was active in behind-the-scenes negotiations to return the then Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, to power in the forty-eight hours after he was deposed by a coup d'état. The incoming government led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva kept working with all sides to assure continued political stability. While today's crisis in Venezuela is different, Brazil will yet again have to engage and assume regional leadership, whether through UNASUR and Mercosur, or bilaterally. With trust largely eroded between the government and the opposition, it seems increasingly unlikely that Venezuela can solve the crisis on its own. A credible outside arbiter is needed.
Why Brazil Holds Back
In contrast to the Venezuelan crisis of 2002 and 2003, when Brazilian Presidents Cardoso and Lula were able to positively influence the internal dynamics in Venezuela, Brazil today is a far less credible mediator than it was a decade ago.
Back in 2003, Lula insisted on including the United States and Spain in the group "Friends of Venezuela," which helped bring the government and the opposition together. Lula's move proved crucial as it convinced the opposition to seriously engage in the debates. Lula may have been a left-wing president, but he was still seen as a legitimate and relatively impartial mediator. Both he and Brazil have since then lost this status, principally in the eyes of the Venezuelan opposition. After Chavez's death, Lula—still one of the most powerful political actors in Brazil and highly influential with the current administration—actively supported Nicolás Maduro's campaign, a move that firmly placed Brazil in the chavista camp.
While one should be careful not to exaggerate the importance of ideology when explaining Brazilian foreign policy, it is certainly true that the strong affinity with chavismo of leading Brazilian foreign policy makers, such as presidential adviser Marco Aurélio Garcia, has played an important role.
Yet economic interests are likely even more important in shaping Brazil's thinking and action. Large Brazilian construction firms have projects in many parts of Caracas. While many other foreign firms have been expropriated or castigated by the Venezuelan government, Brazilian investors have received preferential treatment—though now an increasing number of payments are being severely delayed to Brazilian investors as well. According to Valor Economico, a Brazilian business daily, Venezuelan public sector companies now owe Brazilian companies $2.5 billion. If political tension and conflict increases still further in Venezuela, Brazilian business interests would be increasingly in danger from the spillover economic problems. Accordingly, a growing number of private sector representatives have attempted to put pressure on Dilma Rousseff to take a clearer stand.
Yet the Brazilian president's centralizing leadership style and limited interest in foreign policy—especially as she is preparing for the upcoming presidential election—have turned Brazil into a far more hesitant and less visible international actor than was the case under Cardoso or Lula. A growing number of critics point out that in addition to failing to develop Brazil's regional vision further, Rousseff's foreign policy is characterized by a lack of participation and overall diplomatic retreat, in sharp contrast to Lula's highly active, albeit sometimes controversial, foreign policy. While Presidents Cardoso and Lula provided their foreign ministers with ample room for maneuver (a writer in Foreign Policy once wondered whether Celso Amorim, Lula's foreign minister, was "the world's best"), both foreign ministers under Rousseff have faced strong internal restraints.
The Latest Developments
In late March the UNASUR foreign ministers issued a statement calling for peace and respect for human rights in Venezuela, urging "all political forces" to engage in dialogue and thus supporting the government somewhat less than in previous statements. Such nuances may be noted by the two sides involved, but it is unclear how much they help turn UNASUR into a legitimate mediator. Establishing such legitimacy is a crucial test for this regional organization—after all, its creation rests on the claim that South American nations, as compared with all nations of the Western Hemisphere operating through the Organization of American States, are able to successfully protect and defend democratic order in South America.
Whether UNASUR will be able to reduce tensions and start a constructive dialogue between the opposition and the government is yet unclear. Representatives from the UNASUR group obtained a commitment from President Maduro to accept a mediator, possibly from the Vatican, to coordinate talks with the opposition. The key question, of course, is how far UNASAR members are willing and able to exert pressure on both sides to engage in a serious dialogue.
Considering how polarized Venezuela is, the road to compromise and reconciliation is certain to be long and difficult. President Maduro feels cornered and routinely describes even the moderate opposition as "fascists." Jailed opposition candidates may never come to trust the government again. This is particularly the case for the more radical wing of the opposition that has openly vowed to remove Maduro from power before the next election.
UNASUR's attempt to mediate in the Venezuelan conflict is a multilateral undertaking and an interesting experiment to determine the degree to which the continent is capable of solving its own problems. Yet given that the United States is largely staying out of the discussion, Brazil is by far the most important actor, and thus the best placed, at least theoretically, to assume leadership. If things go wrong, it will be the Brazilian government—not UNASUR—that will, rightly so, be blamed for failing to defend democracy in the region.
An earlier version of this article was published on March 31, 2014 on the blog Post-Western World.
Oliver Stuenkel is an assistant professor of international relations at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo and a member of the Carnegie Rising Democracies Network.
The Carnegie Endowment gratefully acknowledges the support of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Ford Foundation, and the UK Department for International Development for the Carnegie Rising Democracies Network. The author alone is responsible for the opinions expressed herein.
Democracy and Governance
April 10, 20144:39 am
Brazil is doing well in defending Venezuela from US interference. Their position is not in doubt and consistent. All of Latin America hates US "democracy building" because they know it is a sad attempt to restore it's for imperialist domination.
José-Augusto Guilhon-Albuquerque
Stuenkel's article is less about defending rising democracies, than about defending Brazil's support to Maduro's hardly democratic dealing with the opposition. Dilma's and Lula's government developped much more financial and political influence over Venezuela than did former president Cardoso. Curiously, all the arguments supporting the hypothesis that Brazil cares about democracy in South America are based on Cardosos initiaves. I agree that 'one should be careful not to exaggerate the importance of ideology when explaining Brazilian foreign policy', but didn't find any serious alternative explanation in Stuenkel' s paper.
Paula Mian
The combination of a weak Foreign Minister and a president focused on the domestic agenda was just the opportunity Marco Aurélio Garcia wanted to put into practice his own foreign policy. The result is a non-democratic country as the newest Mercosur member (isn't there a democracy clause?), a number of Brazilian investments in Venezuela, and a mute Figueiredo and Dilma. What could they say to the creator of this puzzle - Mr. Garcia? Nothing indeed, after all.
Jaques M Pires (Journalist from INPOED/Brazil)
President Dilma is a communist, nobody affiliated to the Workers Party (PT) can speak for democracy in any country, she is ruling Brazil to an increasing commanded economy, defending monopoles like the oil companies in Brazil and Venezuela, neither, however effective, but for financing the bolivarian communism of Pres. Maduro in Venezuela and the dictatorial policy of Dilma in Brazil driven by corruption, collution, delusion in Dilma's new communist revolution.
Beaware that Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay and Cuba are spreading the communism in Latin America like a plague, Brazil and Venezuela are financing it, which needs to be addressed quickly by authorities for the sake of democracy and freedom. These coutries face very low economic growth, inflation and recession due to a contrationary policy to support their spenditures in the anti-democratic movement budgeting their communist parties, and the main goal of this policy is the inefficient commanded economy.


Newborns are extremely portable. But all the stuff that needs to come along for the ride when you travel… not so much.
We can't stop you from packing every outfit, toy, and burp cloth you own… but we can help you lighten up when it comes to on-the-go gear. The Lotus Bassinet is one of our all-time travel favorites. It's the best bassinet that's super lightweight, easy to transport (folds into a backpack), and easy to set up (15 seconds – seriously). The bassinet's height is right at your bed level, which makes for easy rocking, soothing, and feeding. ClearView mesh sides are visible and breathable, ensuring you can rest easy too. Free of PVC, lead, phthalates, formaldehyde, and heavy metals… this safe, top quality sleeper is a registry and travel must-have. Lots of weeSpring parents use it during those first few months at home, too.


Actor Jesse Metcalfe and Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle have ended their relationship, Metcalfe's rep confirmed to People. "They have decided to part ways," his publicist remarked, without going into detail. As for the claim in The Mirror that Coyle was furious at Metcalfe for being spotted with a mystery woman in Los Angeles, the rep insisted the report was "simply untrue." Read more.


text:
Policy Boardadmin2018-10-30T11:59:07-04:00
Hon. Edwin Meese III
Edwin Meese III served as the seventy-fifth Attorney General of the United States from February 1985 to August 1988. Before serving as Attorney General, he was counselor to President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1985. In this capacity he functioned as the president's chief policy adviser and had management responsibility for the administration of the cabinet, policy development, and planning and evaluation. During the time he held both these positions, Meese was a member of the president's cabinet and the National Security Council.
Mr. Meese served as Governor Reagan's executive assistant and chief of staff in California from 1969-1974 and as legal affairs secretary from 1967-1968. Before joining Governor Reagan's staff in 1967, he served as deputy district attorney of Alameda County California.
Mr. Meese is a distinguished fellow and holder of the Ronald Reagan Chair in Public Policy at the Heritage Foundation; a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University; a member of the Board of Regents of the National College of District Attorney; and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Institute of United States Studies, University of London. He has authored many scholarly books on American government, most recently The Heritage Guide to the Constitution.
He earned his B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ambassador Curtin Winsor, Jr.
Curtin Winsor, Jr. was selected by President Reagan to be U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica from 1983 to 1985. He served there during the Contra war in Nicaragua and his mission also included the reform of Costa Rica's economic structure. Ambassador Winsor also served as Senior Consultant on Central America to the Under Secretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987.
He served as Manager for International Affairs at the Washington Office of the Chase Manhattan Bank from 1973 to 1979. At the request of Chase's Chairman, David Rockefeller, he served as Deputy Director of the Alliance for Free Enterprise, an entity formed to support free trade and free market issues, from 1979 to 1983.
Ambassador Winsor received his B. A. from Brown University in 1961, his M. A on Latin American Area Studies in 1964, and his Ph.D. in International Studies from the School of International Service of American University, Washington, D.C. in 1971.
Hon. Charles J. Cooper
Charles J. Cooper is a renowned civil and constitutional lawyer. As chairman of Cooper & Kirk PLLC, he has represented a variety of private and government clients and argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The National Law Journal named him among the 10 best civil litigators in Washington, D.C. After serving as a clerk to Judge Paul Roney in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist, Mr. Cooper worked in the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. He served as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel in the Reagan Administration. Mr. Cooper has B.S. and J.D. degrees from the University of Alabama.
Christian Adams is the President and General Counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation. He served from 2005 to 2010 in the Voting Section at the United States Department of Justice. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Injustice: Exposing the Racial Agenda of the Obama Justice Department. He litigates election law cases throughout the United States and brought the first private party litigation resulting in the cleanup of corrupted voter rolls under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. He represented multiple presidential campaigns in election litigation. He successfully litigated the landmark case of United States v. Ike Brown in the Southern District of Mississippi, the first case brought under the Voting Rights Act on behalf of a discriminated-against white minority in Noxubee County. Prior to his time at the Justice Department, he served as General Counsel to the South Carolina Secretary of State. He also serves as legal editor at PJ Media and appears frequently on Fox News and has appeared at National Review, Breitbart, the Washington Examiner, American Spectator, Washington Times and other publications. He has a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He is a member of the South Carolina and Virginia Bars.
Hon. William Bradford Reynolds
William Bradford Reynolds served as Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States under Erwin N. Griswold and as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the Reagan Administration, where he provided legal and policy advice to the Attorney General of the United States on sensitive and confidential matters. In addition, he supervised and managed all aspects of the Civil Rights Division activities in the Justice Department, supervising some 165 lawyers and 265 support staff.
He later became a Senior Litigation Partner at the law firm of Collier, Shannon, Rill & Scott, PLLC. Mr. Reynolds is currently a litigation partner at Howrey, Simon, Arnold & White LLP, a global law firm with more than 560 attorneys and other professionals. He is responsible for general litigation for both corporate and individual clients covering a broad array of business issues, including mergers, acquisitions and relocations, antitrust, health care, securities law, labor relations, patents and trademarks, communications, environmental, employment, bankruptcy, real estate transactions, and general contracts.
Mr. Reynolds was educated at Vanderbilt University, (J.D., Order of the Coif, 1967) and Yale University, (B.A., 1964).
Hon. J. Kenneth Blackwell
Kenneth Blackwell is a contributing editor for the conservative news and opinion site Townhall.comand his columns frequently appear in The Washington Times, New York Post,and National Review Online. Mr. Blackwell's public service includes terms as Mayor of Cincinnati, Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. In 1994, he became the first African-American to hold statewide office in Ohio when he was elected Treasurer of State. He subsequently was elected to two terms as Secretary of State. In 2006, he was nominee for Governor of Ohio. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from Xavier University in Ohio.
Professor Walter E. Williams
Walter E. Williams is currently the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. From 1995 to 2001, he served as Chairman of the Economics Department. He holds a B.A. in economics from California State University, Los Angeles, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from UCLA. He also holds a Doctor of Humane Letters from Virginia Union University and Grove City College, a Doctor of Laws from Washington and Jefferson College, and a Doctor Honoris Causa en Ciencias Sociales from Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Guatemala, where he is also Professor Honorario.
Dr. Williams is the author of over 150 publications which have appeared in scholarly journals such as Economic Inquiry, American Economic Review, Georgia Law Review, Journal of Labor Economics, Social Science Quarterly, and Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy and popular publications such as Newsweek, Ideas on Liberty, National Review, Reader's Digest, Cato Journal, and Policy Review. He has authored six books: America: A Minority Viewpoint; The State Against Blacks, which was later made into the PBS documentary; Good Intentions, All It Takes Is Guts, South Africa's War Against Capitalism, which was later revised for South African publication; Do the Right Thing: The People's Economist Speaks; and More Liberty Means Less Government.
He has made scores of radio and television appearances and occasionally as substitute host for the "Rush Limbaugh" radio show. In addition, Dr. Williams writes a weekly nationally syndicated column that is carried by approximately 140 newspapers and several web sites.
Dr. Williams serves on several boards of directors including Grove City College, the Reason Foundation, and the Hoover Institution. He also serves on numerous advisory boards including: Cato Institute, Landmark Legal Foundation, Institute of Economic Affairs, and Heritage Foundation.
Hans von Spakovsky
Hans von Spakovsky is recognized as one of the nation's leading experts on elections and election reform. He is manager of the Heritage Foundation's Election Law Reform Initiative and a senior legal fellow in Heritage's Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies.
He is the co-author with John Fund of the book "Who's Counting?: How Fraudsters and Bureaucrats Put Your Vote at Risk" (Encounter Books, 2012).
Before joining Heritage in 2008, Mr. von Spakovsky served two years as a member of the Federal Election Commission, the authority charged with enforcing campaign finance laws for congressional and presidential elections, including public funding.
He has served on the Board of Advisors of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and on the Fulton County (Ga.) Board of Registrations and Elections. He is a former vice chairman of the Fairfax County (Va.) Electoral Board and a former member of the Virginia Advisory Board to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
A 1984 graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Law, Mr. von Spakovsky received his B.S. degree in 1981 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Doug Bandow
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and a columnist for Forbes online. He served as a Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan. Previously a nationally syndicated columnist with Copley News Service and editor of the monthly political magazine Inquiry, he has been widely published in such periodicals as Time, Newsweek, and Fortune, as well as leading newspapers including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. He has written several books, including The Politics of Plunder: Misgovernment in Washington (Transaction) and Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics(Crossway). He received his B.S. in Economics from Florida State University in 1976 and his J.D. from Stanford University in 1979.
Kenneth A. Klukowski
Kenneth A. (Ken) Klukowski is General Counsel and a Fellow with the American Civil Rights Union. He is also Senior Counsel and Director of Strategic Affairs at Liberty Institute, and Legal Editor for Breitbart News Network. Klukowski has served as Special Deputy Attorney General of Indiana, and worked on faculty at Liberty University School of Law. His columns have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and other national publications, and his amicus briefs and eight law review articles have been cited by various federal courts and top legal journals.
He has participated in numerous Supreme Court cases, and lectured and debated at over seventy law schools nationwide. A national bestselling author, his most recent book is Resurgent: How Constitutional Conservatism Can Save America, published by Simon & Schuster. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame, studied history at Arizona State University, earned his law degree from George Mason University, and served as a law clerk to Judge Alice Batchelder on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
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A community of believers that gather for a high energy worship service. From this venue we broadcast our services online and to our venues.
You can expect a 75 minute service.
*Kids Ministry is just around the corner from this service.
10:30am in the LIVE room is a class about following Jesus that lasts till 11:15am.
A community of believers that gather around coffee and a light snack. You are welcome to join us for an acoustic worship time and then tune in to our LIVE service.
*Kids Ministry is located just downstairs from this service.
Island style worship may not transport you to Maui but the music, dance, preaching style and friendliness of those gathered will have you thinking you are in the tropics.
MCA Multi-lingual brings the flavors, sounds and feelings of the nations represented in a united weekend worship experience.
A service for people whose second language is English.
A community of believers that gather for a high-energy service completely in Spanish language.
A 2-hour service that provides an extended praise and worship time at the start of the service.
A community of believers that gather for a live message and extended worship and prayer time. A 90-minute service that ends with an invitation to the altar.
Yes, we have a site location in Dillingham, Alaska! Not only do we love East Anchorage, we love our State - North, South, East and West. If you're ever in the Bristol Bay area, stop in for worship, friendship, a Bible-based message and an unforgettable experience.
Reminiscent of a dinner theatre, Greatest Hits is a weekend service filled with instrumental jazz worship, a home-cooked meal and the best message we can find from preachers around the world!
Teenagers are some of the greatest followers of Jesus on the planet. This service, open to grades 6th-12th, is high-energy, fun, and relevant. Students lead many parts of the service and are equipped to serve the Lord as missionaries in their schools.
Parents and teens can communicate about the weekend messages because teens and adults receive the same message content.


Vancouver, BC: January 28, 2019: AutismBC and Orbital Learning are proud to announce the launch of a new partnership for the implementation of the Employment Retention Training and Assessment (ERTA) program for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are seeking business professional roles in technology, accounting and administration.
Despite efforts by government-funded agencies to address ASD unemployment rates, there is still a 75%+ unemployment or underemployment rate within this talent pool, with many skilled individuals employed in minimum-wage, part-time jobs, regardless of their abilities, desires and potential. The ERTA program, which recently received a three-year funding commitment from the Vancouver Foundation, seeks to address and improve this, with new employment outcomes for individuals who show aptitude for professional jobs with career growth potential and earnings above Vancouver's living-wage.
The ERTA program, although customized for BC by Orbital Learning, is founded on the successful business model developed by Passwerk in Belgium that today employs 80 ASD individuals in various IT and business professional roles.
If you know an individual who would benefit from the ERTA program, or are an organization looking for support in making your workplace more neuro-diverse, please visit www.autismbc.ca/erta to learn more.


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Memrise or Duolingo: which is better for language learning?
by Martin Brinkmann on May 23, 2017 in Mobile Computing - Last Update: November 18, 2019 - 19 comments
Memrise and Duolingo are two language learning services that are both free to use, and available for various platforms including Android and iOS.
If you want to learn a language, one option that you have is to use an application for that. Apps offer several advantages over language cassettes, tapes, CDs or books. Probably the most important ones are that they are interactive, that you can take them with you wherever you go, and that you can learn different languages using them usually.
But if you want to use an application, which should you choose? Two popular choices are Memrise and Duolingo.
We start with a review of both services individually, and compare the features and functionality of them afterwards.
Duolingo supports 23 languages currently, among them French, Spanish, German, Italian and Portuguese. The service supports several instruction languages, but not all supported languages are usually available.
German speakers may only learn English, Spanish and French for instance, while English speakers have access to all target languages supported by Duolingo.
You may set a goal during account creation which ranges from casual to insane. These are not difficult to reach, and should not take longer than 30 minutes a day even on the insane level.
Duolingo uses a progress based system that is based on topics. You unlock new topics, phrases, food, or possession, as you progress and complete previous topics.
Most topics are made up of multiple lessons, and a training part in the end. You need to finish all lessons to complete a topic, and may run the training part at any time.
Lessons mix various methods, for instance translations from and to the language you are learning, multiple choice questions, listening and speaking exercises, or matching pairs.
The app focuses heavily on words and the translation of phrases or sentences. All words and phrases of the language that you are learning are spoken, so that you get to know the pronunciation as well while you learn.
One downside of using Duolingo is that its focus on words, phrases and sentences ignores grammar for the most part. While you pick up some while you learn, for instance the use of articles, plural, declension, or tenses, it is not as easy as learning those in groups.
Another downside is that some of the sentences that you translate don't make a whole lot of sense, and that you will never use others ("Yes, the cat eats ducks", "I'm a duck. I speak English", or "Yes, we are cats".) You are bombarded by ads after every lesson on top of that.
Memrise supports over one hundred languages, and even other topics that you may learn. Among the popular languages are the same that you may learn using Duolingo, but also others such as Japanese (coming soon to Duolingo), regional languages, e.g. Spanish (Mexico), or Arabic.
Memrise focuses heavily on learning words and phrases. Lessons begin usually with a couple of new words or phrases. These are pronounced, translated, and you may add your own "mem" to them to better memorize the word or phrase.
The app uses multiple choice, translations that you type, or understanding what native speakers say. One strong feature of Memrise is that it ships with native speaker videos. This means that you will listen to a wide variety of native speakers while you learn the language.
Free users gain access to three of the six different language learning modules, while pro users access to all six of them.
The three free modules are "learn new words", "classic review" and "speed review". You learn new words in the first, strengthen already learned words and phrases in the second, and play a game of "quick answer" in the third.
Memrise pushes its Pro service as much as Duolingo pushes its.
Which should you pick? Duolingo or Memrise?
The answer to the question may surprise you. First of all, it depends on the language that you want to learn. Duolingo does not support as many languages as Memrise so that you are left with Memrise as the only option in those cases.
If both support the language, I'd suggest you use them both. The benefit of doing so is that you are exposed to different learning methods, pronunciations, and systems.
Memrise focuses a bit more on words and phrases, while you learn that and sentences when you use Duolingo.
If you are in a hurry, you are probably making faster progress when you are using Memrise, as you learn conversational skills in the beginning for the most part. Both are not super useful when it comes to grammar though.
As far as pro versions are concerned: you can get a Memrise Pro subscription for €23.50 per year, or a lifetime payment, and Duolingo Plus for €10.99 per month. Both paid versions support offline access to the app, and an ad-free environment. Memrise adds access to the Pro only learning modules which improve the app significantly.
Now You: do you use apps to learn languages? If so which and why?
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SAID ELSAEID BADER said on May 23, 2017 at 2:58 pm
Doulingo es una aplicación fenominal y da la formación satisfecha
Extreme pedant said on May 31, 2017 at 8:46 am
Duolingo es una aplicación fenomenal y da una formación satisfactoria.
Crodol said on May 23, 2017 at 5:46 pm
I like Memrise best, Duolingo is a close second and I like Busuu the least.
For Mandarin there is a good app called ChineseSkill.
Martin Brinkmann said on May 23, 2017 at 7:01 pm
I started with Duolingo, but like Memrise a bit better right now.
Klaas Vaak said on May 23, 2017 at 7:04 pm
I just started using Duolingo for Turkish, and find it quite useful. I have not been bothered by ads. Moreover, below each phrase the is a "discussion" button, which gets you to a forum where you can ask a question; it might take 1-2 days to get an answer, but you do get one. Also, some of the exercises involve listening to a word or a sentence being pronounced. You have 2 speed choices: normal speaking speed, and slow speed. Very useful.
Bernd Wagner said on May 23, 2017 at 9:54 pm
Cant find the pro subscription for €23.50. Or the lifetime payment.
Any hints how to get them?
I'm getting a popup for the offer when I open the Memrise app, and when I click on the pro link in the bottom right corner. You see the link on the second screenshot on the left side.
Thanks, was looking on the website.
jasray said on May 24, 2017 at 2:23 am
The great Either/Or fallacy that makes one assume there is no choice when choosing options for learning a new language other than this/that.
Research: How do we learn a new language?
I want to learn a new language.
What sources are available to me?
Hmmm . . . Duolingo or Memrise? That's it?
Flip . . . Martin learned German via Duolingo and Memrise apps which is why his blog is in English, right?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/
And about 1,000 other sources, apps, and means.
Martin Brinkmann said on May 24, 2017 at 7:05 am
Jasray, right, there are plenty of options. I'm not saying that either Duolingo or Memrise are the best for your learning situation.
Actually, on a personal note, I'm trying to learn some Spanish right now for my Spain trip later this year ;)
jasray said on May 24, 2017 at 3:30 pm
Yes, sorry; I don't feel right about the tone of my Reply.
I guess I am used to your usual plethora of options and reviews of the pros/cons of each. "Mi Vida Loco" on BBC is good for Spanish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm6qw_yeo6o
Starshine said on May 24, 2017 at 4:37 pm
Memrise has the following pricing plans:
$129.99 lifetime.
Vincent Belougne said on October 11, 2017 at 2:29 pm
Hi Starshine,
I am trying and find information on the pricing of Memrise subscription, because I have just been charged $59.0 by an automatic payment even before the next cycle date (February 2018), at a time when I actually was considering cancelling my subscription, but was waiting to get closer to that date.
Problem is that , being a Pro member since 2014, I have a hard time finding pricing information anywhere…
Can you please help me by pointing me where I can find that pricing information?
Alan Edwards said on May 26, 2017 at 11:21 am
I've used Duolingo on the Web site and iPad app and never seen an ad. Is that something new?
I thought they made money by selling translation services using language learners to train it, or something like that.
Martin Brinkmann said on May 26, 2017 at 12:14 pm
Alan, I only use the app on Android, never used the web version of Duolingo. Maybe it is without ads?
santy said on June 1, 2017 at 8:40 am
if i buy a pro version of memrise app , will i get access to the pro version of all the languages in app or will i just get it for one particular language?
Martin Brinkmann said on June 1, 2017 at 9:59 am
When you subscribe to Memrise Pro, you get access to additional features for all languages that support it.
Chris said on June 9, 2019 at 2:14 pm
I came by this article looking for an alternative to Duo, but have not tried Memrise. I've completed both Rosetta and Pimsleur (for French) and have to say those are far superior tools. Now that they have subscription services, they are much more affordable than they used to be. IMO, Duo is a very poor tool, particularly the "Learn" feature as 1) there are a lot of errors and you quickly lose confidence (if you know better) in what it teaches, 2) the quality philosophy seems to be "throw it out there and let the community find the errors", but then the turn time on fixes is very slow, 3) its set up so that the learning community is trying to instruct other learners in the Discussion forums (lots of bad and/or wrong advice being passed around), 4) Duo's objective is ad time which translates to design decisions that are geared to keeping people on their app/website, 5) Duo has made 2 major changes (related to #4) in the 4 months I've used it, both of which put the community up in arms, but had nothing to do with improving the quality of learning. 6) there is not enough focus on listening or speaking skills (the spoken audio needs a lot of improvement)… the focus is mostly on typing/selecting translations to your native language rather than the user generating translations in the target language, 7) if you are a non-American English speaker, it is obvious how frustrated people are that Duo has a heavy U.S. English bias. Having said all that, I do like/prefer to use their "Stories" feature which has you reading short story scripts and answering questions for comprehension along the way. This is integrated with "Tinycards" (flashcards) which has a smart feature of collecting words you 'hover' over for translations or you can make your own cards. A lot of people will say Duo is pretty amazing because it is free… but its nearing the value of a BILLION dollar company… but still has that low quality feel of something you bought at the dollar store.
I'll also note that I use Yabla! which is a very different type of language learning tool, but has been incredibly effective in developing my ear for both the speed of, and understanding of, the real spoken language, as well as building my vocabulary. It's not a self-guided tool like most tools, so you do have to script your own method/style of using it, but, for the diligent learner, it is very, very effective.
Final comment: language learners should first decide what their objectives are, then choose the right tools for the job. If a superficial, general familiarity of a language in a gamer like environment is a tool for you, then Duo will provide that. If you really want to learn to speak a language beyond a tourist level, look elsewhere.
Samuel Attias said on August 28, 2020 at 11:39 pm
Duolingo For Home
Memrise For School


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Highly Automated Commercial Vehicles Hitting the Road
A variety of autonomous vehicles, meant for everything from ridesharing applications in urban and suburban cities to last mile fulfillment that provides quick and inexpensive deliveries, are currently in the pilot stage Along with tech giants like Google, most OEMs are continuing to invest in autonomous vehicle development. China-based Alibaba is testing driverless robotics to complete deliveries to secure lockers.
Progress in Testing and Production
Commercial OEMs are moving beyond prototypes and to on-road testing of varying form factors and levels of autonomy on roads and highways. Leading heavy-duty OEM Daimler's 2020 Freightliner Cascadia truck offers SAE Level 2 autonomy--the first Class 8 produced in the United States. The company will also move to SAE Level 4 testing at some point in 2019. Tesla's semi-autonomous truck expects to launch early production sometime this year, with multiple sightings on roads in California. TuSimple expects to create the largest self-driving fleet this year, expanding their fleet to 40 trucks as well as adding interstate travel, with their sights set on 200 trucks and "driver out" by the end of next year.
Vertical and Geographic Expansion
Hyundai completed South Korea's first Level 3 autonomous truck highway journey at 40km with loaded cargo in August of 2018. They have plans to commercialize the truck in 2020. Shanghai became the first Chinese city to test autonomous trucks on roads with TuSimple.
A rising number of autonomous applications are growing for Mobility as a Service (MaaS), including Alphabet-owned provider Waymo One's self-driving van service, which began offering autonomous trips to early riders in the Phoenix metropolitan area at the end of 2018. General Motors and Ford are planning similar launches over the next two years. In Japan, Hinomaru Kotsu began testing self-driving taxi services with start-up ZMP to help address a driver shortage. Use of these services will likely grow with the upcoming 2020 Olympics.
Autonomy for last mile delivery is also growing, both geographically and across form factors. Last year, Yamato Transport Co. and DeNa Co. completed autonomous van delivery service trails that were available for the area's 61,000 residents. Walmart is beginning home delivery with Udelv's modified Ford Transit Connect self-driving vans and a safety driver to unload the groceries. The star-up plans to grow to 100 vehicles this year for various clients. United States grocer Fry's (The Kroger Company) began testing small, truly driverless deliveries with start-up Nuro, and already completed over 1,000 deliveries. Amazon has also been spotted using self-driving trucks from Embark (integrated into existing trucks) to haul highway-only cargo.
Legislation Growing
With current laws still underdeveloped around the globe, liability and the lack of comprehensive regulation can deter the development and testing of fully autonomous commercial vehicles. However, the AV Start Act 2017-2018 in the United States is a bill to remove liability of autonomous technology companies in cases where riders are injured in autonomous vehicles. Cultural norms and the perceived threat of both safety and job loss can also be impactful.For example, despite an overall positive reaction, Waymo's self-driving vans have also become the focus of dozens of threats or harassment from Phoenicians.
Many companies in the autonomous driving industry are responding to these concerns. For example, Toyota, which has partnered with Uber, is expected to launch/implement its Guardian driver assistance solution by 2021. Per the California DMV's recently released annual disengagement report Waymo was the most successful, even though safety drivers are still needed to take over control in some cases and the software will need further enhancements.
Efficiency, including future impact to the driver shortage, and safety benefits are compelling. Human error is the source of nearly 9 out of 10 serious crashes in the transportation industry according to the DOT. Still addressing cybersecurity risk end to end and training former drivers to become the new mobile workers is paramount.The good news is, with country- and industry-wide standards and partnerships, significant simulation, real-world testing and, of course, public and private investment in infrastructure, all of this is achievable.
Freightliner Corporation


Introducing our Croatian Traditional Design Tablecloths. They are made from premium woven fabric and hand sewn. The 'Tan Diamonds' pattern is one of our classic styles and is perfect for any occasion.
Care Instructions: Machine washable at 40C. The colours are very durable, long lasting and doesn't wash out. Tablecloths may shrink 3-4% when dried. Best to hang dry as this will not require ironing.


Caretaker cabinet takes decision after formal dissolution of parliament by president.
Italy's previous election was held two years ago.
Prodi's 20-month-old centre-left government fell last month after a small centrist party within the ruling coalition pulled out.
After that, attempts were made to form an interim government, which would have been entrusted with making changes to the voting system.
Napolitano had asked Franco Marini, the senate speaker, to try to engineer an interim government that could oversee amendments to Italy's electoral law, but the effort failed.
Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's conservative former prime minister, has consistently rejected any possibility of an interim government.
Walter Veltroni, leader of Prodi's coalition, had hoped to delay the election by supporting the idea of an interim government and mooted changes to the electoral law.
The proportional representation vote system was passed in the last months of Berlusconi's 2001-06 term but was widely criticised.
It is widely seen as giving too much power to small parties, thus increasing the risk of political instability should such groups leave the government.
Berlusconi, 71, whose centre-right coalition is leading in the opinion polls, is well placed to return to power.


Riders have logged 6.51 miles & 3.65 hours here.
TOP TRAIL RIDER: terrah75 logged 6.51 miles.
From Kettle Falls follow U.S. Highway 395 to state Route 20. Follow state Route 20 for 20 miles and turn right on Albian Hill Road 2030. Follow road 2030 for 3.2 miles to trailhead sign and west 0.2 miles to trail.
5 campsites with picnic tables, and fire pits.
Nestled under the flanks of Wapaloosie Mountain you'll find this scenic equestrian friendly campground in the Colville National Forest.


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August 30, 2013 Joe Gonzalez
New image from Arnold on the set of Expendables 3
Sylvester Stallone and the gang of 80's/90's action stars are geared up and ready to roll out. With production for Expendables 3 now starting, Arnold Schwarzenegger has gone to Instagram to post a photo of their first day of filming. Shown with Arnold is director Patrick Hugh and new cast member, legendary actor Harrison Ford.
It appears that Ford is shown in full costume in his yet unknown character. Also new to the cast is Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Victor Ortiz and Glen Powell. With Bruce Willis recently dropping out, we'll have to wait to see how it affects the movie, since his character was a key role that played out over the first and second Expendables movies. Here is the full image posted on Schwarzeneggers' Instagram.
"It was a fantastic first day of filming on Expendables 3. Great to work with Harrison and our director, Patrick"
The Expendables 3 stages a reunion between Barney Ross (Stallone) and Expendables co-founder Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson). Due to their conflicted history, Expendables 3 sets up a Stallone vs Gibson in which Stonebanks comes back to exact revenge. Stonebanks was initially killed by Ross, but survived the attack and has returned to destroy the Expendables mercenary group.
The Expendables 3 is set to be released August 15, 2014.


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You are here: Home > Patient satisfaction with GP...
Patient satisfaction with GP services hits all-time low
Survey findings show patients are increasingly dissatisfied with general practice
28 February, 2018 02:09 PM | By Valeria Fiore
Satisfaction with GP services is at the lowest point since records began, a survey of almost 4,000 people has revealed.
Satisfaction with general practice among the 3,988 people surveyed by research company NatCen Social Research fell to 65% in 2017, marking a 7% point drop on the previous year and the biggest one-year change since the survey began in 1983.
Patient dissatisfaction with the NHS overall also rocketed to 29%, the highest level recorded since 2007, according to NatCen.
A leading factor contributing to dissatisfaction with NHS services was difficulty in being seen by a healthcare professional, with 52% of respondents saying that 'it takes too long to get a GP or hospital appointment'.
The survey's findings come less than two weeks after provisional NHS England data showed that GP practices in England have lost 219 GPs in three months.
'No workforce to deliver care'
Sheinaz Stansfield, practice manager at Oxford Terrace and Rawling Road Medical Group in Gateshead, Newcastle, said: 'Practices are working harder than ever to deliver services at a time when funding for general practice has reduced to 7.1% of the total NHS spending.
'We are under unprecedented pressure with no workforce to deliver the care. As people become dissatisfied with the whole system, their dissatisfaction is aimed at general practice because we are the first point of contact.'
Analysis by health thinktank the King's Fund last year found that 'workload has increased substantially in recent years and has not been matched by growth in either funding or in workforce'.
It found that workload in practices went up by more than 15% between 2010/11 and 2014-15.
'Under immense pressure'
Practice manager at The Colte Partnership - Mersea Island Branch in Essex, Paul Conroy, said that limited resources are to blame for the current state of general practice.
He said: 'When you look at vacancy rates, emigration and retirement rates, staff per capita, or practice closures, we are a system under immense pressure.
'Expectations have grown exponentially, both from commissioners and patients. And we've essentially seen the consultation rate double over the last decade, while resources have halved.'
Valeria Fiore


Do you use a lot of stickers? If you'd like to save some money and time, this post will teach you how to make printable stickers for you bullet journal without any extravagant tools or software.
Stickers are a quick and fun way to add some creativity to your journal. They're also great time savers for things like habit trackers, headers, etc. But, stickers can become expensive if you are using them frequently. And sometimes, you just can't find exactly what you are looking for.
Creating your own stickers is pretty easy, and you don't have to own any super fancy equipment or software to get started.
I have been creating printable stickers for almost two years now. In the beginning, I was hand drawing every single sticker with pen and paper.
and Procreate. And yes, it does make it A LOT easier.
But, I draw multiple sticker sheets and printable layouts every week for the VIP Resource Library and my shop. So, if you are just looking to create stickers for personal use or to share with a friend, an iPad won't be necessary.
In fact, this post is going to teach you how to create printable stickers for your bullet journal with just a pen, paper, a scanner, a computer, and a printer. And if you aren't quite comfortable with drawing your own stickers yet, I'll show you an alternative using a free online program.
As mentioned above, you don't need anything too fancy or out of the norm for this. If you are looking to start an Etsy sticker shop, you may want to consider investing in some extra equipment, but for the purpose of this post, you will only need the following items.
. Because you will be drawing directly on this paper, you don't want your ink to seep in and create feathered edges. This is common with regular printer paper. But with marker paper, the ink doesn't seep in and leaves your lines clean and sharp.
If you aren't comfortable drawing your own stickers yet, I will be sharing an alternative method using a free online program.
The first thing you will want to decide is what kind of stickers you want to create. Do you want to make weekly headers, banners, decorative stickers, habit tracker's etc?
If you are drawing banners or headers, be sure to measure the correct size your stickers should be. Then, use pencil to draw lines of that length where you will be drawing your stickers.
Always start with your pencil first. This will prevent messing up and then having to use a program like Photoshop to remove mistakes.
will be a big benefit here. It's semi-translucent so you can lay it over a blank page in your bullet journal and see the dots underneath.
These stickers are from my Free Boho Stickers Printable.
If this sounds like you, I want to give you some ideas to get started with your practice and confidence. First off, know that you don't have to be an artist to draw and doodle.
You can start by simply printing out pictures you like and tracing over them to get a feel for drawing. But, I believe, with the right resources, anyone can draw right out of the gate.
I have created lots of doodle tutorial posts that walk you through each step of the process. Even if these aren't the doodles you want to be drawing, they can help you get the basic idea, which is to break things down into simple shapes.
One of the greatest keys to your success is going to be consistency. If you want to get better, make time to practice every day. The best way to do this is to join a doodle challenge.
There are quite a few hosted on Instagram every month, including my own, Oodles of Doodles. You can find the prompt list on my Instagram Feed. I usually post it around the 22nd of each month.
You are only in competition with yourself when participating in these challenges. So, don't get discouraged. Just keep trying to be a little better than you were last week or yesterday.
Everyone has a different scanner and computer, so this process may be a bit different for everyone. But, you will want to find your printer/scanner software on your computer. Then click the scan button.
Make sure your paper is in the scanner straight and with the drawing side facing down onto the scanner. Then, on the scan screen on your computer, change the Kind to Text if your stickers are only black and white. This gives you the cleanest and crispest lines. For colored in stickers, choose Color.
Then, set your DPI to 300. Make sure you have selected US Letter for the size and chosen the correct orientation of your page. It's likely in a vertical orientation.
After this, change the file type to PDF and set the file name to whatever you want. You can also choose where to save your file. When all of this looks right, go ahead and click Scan.
Now that you have scanned in your document (or saved with Canva), you are ready to print your stickers. If you are using sticker paper, make sure to load it into your printer. Again, everyone has different printers so this process may be slightly different for you.
with the sticker side (the side that will be printed on) facing down in the tray.
First, you will want to open your sticker sheet in a PDF Reader like Adobe Reader (100% Free if you don't have it yet.) Then, go to file and click print. Be sure your print settings are set to color and actual size.
Then, simply print out your stickers. If you are using sticker paper, all you have to do is cut out your stickers with a pair of scissors, remove the backing and stick them in your bullet journal.
. And then, you are done and you can reprint your stickers as often as you need.
If you don't feel comfortable drawing but still want to make your own stickers for your bullet journal, there is an alternative way.
Canva is a free to use, simple graphic design program. It's hosted online so you don't have to install any software on your computer.
The first thing you will need to do is create an account. You can do this with your email or by logging in with a social platform like Facebook.
Once you have an account setup, you will be directed to your dashboard area. This is where you can pick new design templates and see previous creations.
You will want to click the green "Create a Design" button in the lefthand column. From there, find Letterhead (US) under the documents section and click it. This will open up your 8.5″x11″ canvas.
Once your canvas is open you can start designing your stickers. I'll walk you through how to make the sticker sheet you see below. Psst, you can download it for free at the bottom of this post.
First, go the to the search icon in the menu on the left and type in banner. I chose the pink one with a single tail coming off the right side. From here, shrink it down. You will have to estimate sizes a little.
Then, you can change the color by first clicking on the banner and then going to the top menu where you will see three colored boxes. You can change each color individually. I went with a purple gradient.
Then, to change the text, double-click on the text part of the banner. From here, you can use the options in the top menu to change the font, size, and color of your text. I chose Glass Antiqua for the font and left it white.
Type in your header. I made weekday headers, so I started with Monday.
Now, you can simply duplicate your header and change to text. To do this, be sure your banner is selected with the little dots all the way around it. Then, in the top menu at the right, click copy. Erase the text in the copy and type in your next header. Continue with this process until you have all of the headers you want.
From here, you can copy the entire group of headers over to create another set. Hold down the shift key and click on all of the headers you made. This will select all of them at the same time. Then, hit the copy button.
Now you will have two copies of all of your stickers and you can go through and change the colors on the second set if you'd like.
Continuing on with the same sticker sheet we were working on above, let's make some icon stickers with free elements you can find in Canva.
Go back to the search bar and type in the word cart. We are going to make some Grocery Shopping Stickers.
Pick one of the cart icons you like. Just like with the banner, you can change the color.
Now, go to the Elements tab on the lefthand menu and click on shapes. Scroll down a little until you find the circle outline. Click on it to insert it into your document.
Then, use your mouse and to shrink it to fit around your shopping cart icon. Again, you can change the color if you'd like.
Now, starting from above the icon you have made, click and drag your mouse over both the shopping cart and the circle to select both at the same time. Go to the top menu and click Group. This will combine the two elements.
Now you can make copies of your shopping icon.
Continue to fill out your sticker sheet with stickers that are beneficial to you. Canva offers a ton of free images and elements you can use to come up with unique designs.
When you are finished with your sticker sheet, you can download it to your computer. To do this, go to the top menu. Next to the share button is some text. Change it whatever you want your file name to be.
Then, click the download button. It will give you a drop-down menu of file types you can save your document as. I have had the best luck saving my documents as PDF-Print.
Once you save the file it should go to your downloads folder on your computer. From here you can follow along with the tutorial above to print your stickers.


text:
Unseres Herren Ruh ist der Name folgender Kapellen:

 Unseres Herren Ruh (Herretshofen), Kapelle in der Gemeinde Kirchhaslach im Landkreis Unterallgäu in Bayern
 Unseres Herren Ruh (Reichertsried), Kapelle in der Gemeinde Münsterhausen im schwäbischen Landkreis Günzburg in Bayern

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Albums & EPs
Big Music Society
john mulhearn
Piper | Producer | Composer | Teacher
Founded in late 2014, The Big Music Society is a multi-platform musical venture founded by John Mulhearn and Calum MacCrimmon (Breabach, Man's Ruin) as a vehicle for the exploration of Ceòl Mòr on the modern stage.
Ceòl Mòr or pibroch, as it is commonly called, is often considered to be the 'classical' music of the highland pipes. It is a rich musical heritage that reaches back centuries. In recent times this music has been almost exclusively performed by solo competitive pipers.
Inspired by a small number of trailblazers – among them Allan MacDonald and Martyn Bennett – the BMS seek to broaden the appeal of a music that is often seen as stuffy and elitist. Over the course of a number of highly successful collaborations, productions and commissions John and Calum's project has started to carve an important niche.
Follow John
John's Twitter
RT @AlihuttonPipes: OUT TODAY - OUT TODAY - FROM THE GROUND - EP - 🌳- A new project from myself and @laurabethsalter .......Exploring sound… 1 month ago
RT @johnharris1969: Here's the essential state of English politics in 96 seconds by my colleague @rafaelbehr https://t.co/hO3aAYLQeY 1 month ago
RT @JamesMelville: The Brexit Party has banned Channel 4 News from attending future events organised by the party. Please retweet if you th… 1 month ago
Follow @JohnMulhearn1


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Let us improve the aesthetics and energy efficiency of your home through our replacement windows and doors in Casper, WY and beyond. Punctuated by durability and strength, you will appreciate the incredible good looks of our products installed by an experienced team that works with local homeowners just like you.
Choosing Renewal by Andersen replacement windows or sliding patio doors translates to decades of indoor comfort, low-maintenance, and energy efficiency. We are happy to count thousand of homeowners among our many valued clients over the years. We offer free in-home consultations just by calling us or filling out an online quote request form.
For Wyoming Residents: A FREE Estimate Can Be Yours!
Ready to take the next step in new windows and doors? Pick up the phone and call Renewal by Andersen of Wyoming today at 307-472-2199 or visit us at 5150 Reserve Drive, Evansville, WY 82636, available to you Mon – Fri – 8:30am – 5pm, Saturday by appointment only, closed Sundays. If you'd rather, it's easy to complete this online quote form and receive a quick reply.


text:
AVERDA
Averda is the largest environmental solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa region, specializing in integrated resources management. Headquartered in Dubai for its GCC markets, and in London for its other international markets, Averda is at the forefront of innovation, providing sustainable solutions and more than 35 years of experience in the effective management of waste for both private and public sector clients across pedestrian, residential, commercial and industrial areas.
Averda's extensive portfolio of services range from street cleaning to waste collection, treatment, disposal and recycling. The company's capabilities also include the development of solutions for water, wastewater and solid waste for public, residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, all within a sustainable framework that respects the natural environment. Averda also designs and implements full-scale solutions to recover valuable and recyclable resources like paper, metals and water.
Serving in excess of 9 million people every day, Averda currently operates in full compliance with international standards for quality control throughout Angola, Congo, Gabon, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Republic of Ireland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates.
GROUP ENTITIES:
With more than 15,000 employees serving millions of people every day, Averda operates in full compliance with international standards for quality control throughout Angola, Gabon, Ireland, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Republic of Congo, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE and the UK.
KEY OFFICERS:
Mr. Maysarah Sukkar, Chairman
Mr. Malek Sukkar, CEO
Mr. Samir Sharma, CFO
Mr. Mazen Chebaklo, CCO
Angola, Gabon, Ireland,
Lebanon, Morocco, Oman,
Qatar, Republic of Congo,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
UAE and the UK.
Entry Year: October 2008
Sector : Environmental Services
Investment: Equity - Strategic Minority
Averda Dubai Regional Office
Level 2, averda building,
Knowledge Village - Dubai.
T: 00971-4-4497500
E-mail: info@averda.com
www.averda.com


Ababu is a free open source software for veterinary practice management, I had been tracking its progress since the early releases, It has been released a few days ago for Windows machines.
Is Care2x the hospital information management HIS dead or abandoned?
CodeShelter, hope for abandoned medical/ healthcare open source projects!
Laboratory information management systems ( LIMS ) are software which handle laboratory workflow, managing records, inventory, users and reporting.
Easy Appointments : Free and Open source Appointment Scheduler for Windows, Mac-OSX and Linux. Ready for Clinics.
Horos Free/ Open source DICOM Viewer for Mac OSX for Radiologists.
Horos is a free and open source medical imaging viewer for MacOSX, based on OsiriX and several open source other libraries. Its released under LGPL v3 license.
Bahmni EMR is an open source solution aimed for supporting health-care services in rural area. It has been built over open source standards and runs on CentOS Linux which is an enterprise-grade community supported stable and powerful Linux Distribution.
OpenEMR is a Free and Open Source EHR and medical practice management system. It is ONC Certified with international usage. OpenEMR's goal is to be a superior alternative to its proprietary counterparts.
Nowadays, EMRs are no longer considered a luxury. The hospitals and clinics with low budgets in rural or remote areas shall not fear any monetary requirements.
a free, open source and offline-enabled easy to use EMR software for the developing world healthcare. It is started in 2014 and the latest version is (1.0.0 Beta) released on (2017-05-18).
TiddlyWiki : Open source one file wiki that runs everywhere.


You are having problems with your Tumbler Screening Machines or Vibrating Round Screeners?
How can you improve your system?
With the information provided we will analyze the problems by phone of fax. Then you will receive free of charge one or more proposals to solve the problems.
Quite often a visit to the site will be required to find out the reasons. We are ready to meet you.


text:
Борі́ха () — селище у складі Алейського району Алтайського краю, Росія. Адміністративний центр та єдиний населений пункт Червонопартизанської сільської ради.

Населення
Населення — 579 осіб (2010; 664 у 2002).

Національний склад (станом на 2002 рік):
 росіяни — 89 %

Джерела

Примітки

Населені пункти Алейського району
Селища Алтайського краю


The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that it is going to increase the effectiveness of the air defense system in Syria amid recent attacks against a Syrian armed forces airfield.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday its plans to bolster and increase the effectiveness of the air defense system in Syria after the United States carried out attacks against a Syrian armed forces airfield.
"In order to protect the most sensitive objects of the Syrian infrastructure, a system of measures to bolster and increase the effectiveness of the Syrian armed forces' air defense systems,, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.
Earlier the day, it was reported that the US launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian military airfield in Ash Sha'irat near Homs late Thursday. US President Donald Trump said the attack was a response to the alleged chemical weapon use in Idlib on Tuesday, which Washington blames on Damascus.