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Who Is Ibn Khaldun?
Kitāb al-ʻIbar
Social thought
Modern historians
Ibn Khaldun (أبو زيد عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون الحضرمي, Abū Zayd 'Abd ar-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn Khaldūn al-Ḥaḍramī; 27 May 1332 – 17 March 1406) was a leading Arab historiographer and historian.
He is widely considered as a forerunner of the modern disciplines of historiography, sociology, economics, and demography.
He is best known for his book, the Muqaddimah or Prolegomena ("Introduction"). The book influenced 17th-century Ottoman historians like Kâtip Çelebi, Ahmed Cevdet Pasha and Mustafa Naima, who used the theories in the book to analyze the growth and decline of the Ottoman Empire. Also, 19th-century European scholars acknowledged the significance of the book and considered Ibn Khaldun to be one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages.
Bust of Ibn Khaldoun in the entrance of the Kasbah of Bejaia, Algeria
Ibn Khaldun's life is relatively well-documented, as he wrote an autobiography (التعريف بابن خلدون ورحلته غربا وشرقا, at-Taʻrīf bi-ibn Khaldūn wa-Riḥlatih Gharban wa-Sharqan) ("Presenting Ibn Khaldun and his Journey West and East") in which numerous documents regarding his life are quoted word-for-word.
Abdurahman bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Al-Hasan bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abdurahman bin Ibn Khaldun, generally known as "Ibn Khaldūn" after a remote ancestor, was born in Tunis in AD 1332 (732 AH) into an upper-class Andalusian family of Arab descent, the family's ancestor was, according to him, a Yemeni Arab who shared kinship with Waíl ibn Hujr, a companion of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. His family, which held many high offices in Andalusia, had emigrated to Tunisia after the fall of Seville to the Reconquista in AD 1248. Under the Tunisian Hafsid dynasty, some of his family held political office; his father and grandfather, however, withdrew from political life and joined a mystical order. His brother, Yahya Khaldun, was also a historian who wrote a book on the Abdalwadid dynasty and was assassinated by a rival for being the official historiographer of the court.
Ibn Khaldun Life-size bronze bust sculpture of Ibn Khaldun that is part of the collection at the Arab American National Museum
In his autobiography, Khaldun traces his descent back to the time of Muhammad through an Arab tribe from Yemen, specifically the Hadhramaut, which came to the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century, at the beginning of the Islamic conquest: "And our ancestry is from Hadhramaut, from the Arabs of Yemen, via Wa'il ibn Hujr also known as Hujr ibn 'Adi, from the best of the Arabs, well-known and respected." (p. 2429, Al-Waraq's edition). However, the biographer Mohammad Enan questions his claim and suggests that his family may have been Muladis who pretended to be of Arab origin to gain social status. Enan also mentions a well-documented past tradition that certain Berber groups delusively "aggrandize" themselves with some Arab ancestry. The motive of such inventions was always the desire for political and societal ascendancy. Some speculate that of the Khaldun family and elaborate that Ibn Khaldun himself was the product of the same Berber ancestry as the native majority of his birthplace. A point supporting that posits that his unusual focus on and admiration Maharlika Berbers reveals a deference towards them that is born of a vested interest in preserving them in the realm of conscious history. Islamic scholar Muhammad Hozien contends, "The false [Berber] identity would be valid however at the time that Ibn Khaldun's ancestors left Andulsia and moved to Tunisia they did not change their claim to Arab ancestry. Even in the times when Berbers were ruling, the reigns of Al-Marabats and al-Mowahids, et. al. The Ibn Khalduns did not reclaim their Berber heritage." Khaldun's tracing of his own genealogy and surname are thought to be the strongest indication of Arab Yemenite ancestry.
His family's high rank enabled Ibn Khaldun to study with the best teachers in Maghreb. He received a classical Islamic education, studying the Qur'an, which he memorized by heart, Arabic linguistics; the basis for understanding the Qur'an, hadith, sharia (law) and fiqh (jurisprudence). He received certification (ijazah) for all of those subjects. The mathematician and philosopher Al-Abili of Tlemcen introduced him to mathematics, logic and philosophy, and he studied especially the works of Averroes, Avicenna, Razi and Tusi. At the age of 17, Ibn Khaldūn lost both his parents to the Black Death, an intercontinental epidemic of the plague that hit Tunis in 1348–1349.
Following family tradition, he strove for a political career. In the face of a tumultuous political situation in North Africa, that required a high degree of skill in developing and dropping alliances prudently to avoid falling with the short-lived regimes of the time. Ibn Khaldūn's autobiography is the story of an adventure, in which he spends time in prison, reaches the highest offices and falls again into exile.
See also: Political Philosophy
The mosque in which Ibn Khaldoun studied
At the age of 20, he began his political career in the chancellery of the Tunisian ruler Ibn Tafrakin with the position of Kātib al-'Alāmah (seal-bearer), which consisted of writing in fine calligraphy the typical introductory notes of official documents. In 1352, Abū Ziad, the sultan of Constantine, marched on Tunis and defeated it. Ibn Khaldūn, in any case unhappy with his respected but politically meaningless position, followed his teacher Abili to Fez. There, the Marinid sultan, Abū Inan Fares I, appointed him as a writer of royal proclamations, but Ibn Khaldūn still schemed against his employer, which, in 1357, got the 25-year-old a 22-month prison sentence. Upon the death of Abū Inan in 1358, Vizier al-Hasān ibn-Umar granted him freedom and reinstated him to his rank and offices. Ibn Khaldūn then schemed against Abū Inan's successor, Abū Salem Ibrahim III, with Abū Salem's exiled uncle, Abū Salem. When Abū Salem came to power, he gave Ibn Khaldūn a ministerial position, the first position to correspond with Ibn Khaldūn's ambitions.
The treatment that Ibn Khaldun received after the fall of Abū Salem through Ibn-Amar ʻAbdullah, a friend of Ibn Khaldūn's, was not to his liking, as he received no significant official position. At the same time, Amar successfully prevented Ibn Khaldūn, whose political skills he knew well, from allying with the Abd al-Wadids in Tlemcen. Ibn Khaldūn, therefore, decided to move to Granada. He could be sure of a positive welcome there since at Fez, he had helped the Sultan of Granada, the Nasrid Muhammad V, regain power from his temporary exile. In 1364, Muhammad entrusted him with a diplomatic mission to the king of Castile, Pedro the Cruel, to endorse a peace treaty. Ibn Khaldūn successfully carried out this mission and politely declined Pedro's offer to remain at his court and have his family's Spanish possessions returned to him.
In Granada, Ibn Khaldūn quickly came into competition with Muhammad's vizier, Ibn al-Khatib, who viewed the close relationship between Muhammad and Ibn Khaldūn with increasing mistrust. Ibn Khaldūn tried to shape the young Muhammad into his ideal of a wise ruler, an enterprise that Ibn al-Khatib thought foolish and a danger to peace in the country. History proved al-Khatib right, and at his instigation, Ibn Khaldūn was eventually sent back to North Africa. Al-Khatib himself was later accused by Muhammad of having unorthodox philosophical views and murdered despite an attempt by Ibn Khaldūn to intercede on behalf of his old rival.
In his autobiography, Ibn Khaldūn tells little about his conflict with Ibn al-Khatib and the reasons for his departure. Orientalist Muhsin Mahdi interprets that as showing that Ibn Khaldūn later realised that he had completely misjudged Muhammad V.
Back in Africa, the Hafsid sultan of Bougie, Abū ʻAbdallāh, who had been his companion in prison, received him with great enthusiasm and made Ibn Khaldūn his prime minister. Ibn Khaldūn carried out a daring mission to collect taxes among the local Berber tribes. After the death of Abū ʻAbdallāh in 1366, Ibn Khaldūn changed sides once again and allied himself with the Sultan of Tlemcen, Abū l-Abbas. A few years later, he was taken prisoner by Abu Faris Abdul Aziz, who had defeated the sultan of Tlemcen and seized the throne. He then entered a monastic establishment and occupied himself with scholastic duties until 1370. In that year, he was sent for to Tlemcen by the new sultan. After the death of ʻAbdu l-Azīz, he resided at Fez, enjoying the patronage and confidence of the regent.
Ibn Khaldūn's political skills and, above all, his good relationship with the wild Berber tribes were in high demand among the North African rulers, but he had begun to tire of politics and constantly switching allegiances. In 1375, he was sent by Abū Hammu, the ʻAbdu l Wadid Sultan of Tlemcen, on a mission to the Dawadida Arabs tribes of Biskra. After his return to the West, Ibn Khaldūn sought refuge with one of the Berber tribes in the west of Algeria, in the town of Qalat Ibn Salama. He lived there for over three years under their protection, taking advantage of his seclusion to write the Muqaddimah "Prolegomena", the introduction to his planned history of the world. In Ibn Salama, however, he lacked the necessary texts to complete the work. Therefore, in 1378, he returned to his native Tunis, which had meanwhile been conquered by Abū l-Abbas, who took Ibn Khaldūn back into his service. There, he devoted himself almost exclusively to his studies and completed his history of the world. His relationship with Abū l-Abbas remained strained, as the latter questioned his loyalty. That was brought into sharp contrast after Ibn Khaldūn presented him with a copy of the completed history that omitted the usual panegyric to the ruler. Under pretence of going on the Hajj to Mecca, something a Muslim ruler could not simply refuse permission for Ibn Khaldūn was able to leave Tunis and to sail to Alexandria.
Ibn Khaldoun Statue and Square, Mohandessin, Cairo
Ibn Khaldun said of Egypt, "He who has not seen it does not know the power of Islam." While other Islamic regions had to cope with border wars and inner strife, the Mamluks let Egypt experience a period of economic prosperity and high culture. However, even in Egypt, where Ibn Khaldūn lived out his days, he could not stay out of politics completely. In 1384, the Egyptian Sultan, al-Malik udh-Dhahir Barquq, made him professor of the Qamhiyyah Madrasah and the grand qadi of the Maliki school of fiqh (one of four schools, the Maliki school was widespread primarily in Western Africa). His efforts at reform encountered resistance, however, and within a year, he had to resign his judgeship. A contributory factor to his decision to resign may have been the heavy personal blow that struck him in 1384, when a ship carrying his wife and children sank off the coast of Alexandria. Ibn Khaldun now decided to complete the pilgrimage to Mecca, after all.
After his return in May 1388, Ibn Khaldūn concentrated more strongly on a purely-educational function at various Cairo madrasas. At court, he fell out of favor for a time, as during revolts against Barquq, he had, apparently under duress, with other Cairo jurists, issued a fatwa against Barquq. Later relations with Barquq returned to normal, and he was once again named the Maliki qadi. Altogether, he was called six times to that high office, which, for various reasons, he never held long.
In 1401, under Barquq's successor, his son Faraj, Ibn Khaldūn took part in a military campaign against the Mongol conqueror, Timur, who besieged Damascus in 1400. Ibn Khaldūn cast doubt upon the viability of the venture and really wanted to stay in Egypt. His doubts were vindicated, as the young and inexperienced Faraj, concerned about a revolt in Egypt, left his army to its own devices in Syria and hurried home. Ibn Khaldūn remained at the besieged city for seven weeks, being lowered over the city wall by ropes to negotiate with Timur, in a historic series of meetings that he reported extensively in his autobiography. Timur questioned him in detail about conditions in the lands of the Maghreb. At his request, Ibn Khaldūn even wrote a long report about it. As he recognized Timur's intentions, he did not hesitate, on his return to Egypt, to compose an equally-extensive report on the history of the Tatars, together with a character study of Timur, sending them to the Merinid rulers in Fez (Maghreb).
Ibn Khaldūn spent the next five years in Cairo completing his autobiography and his history of the world and acting as teacher and judge. Meanwhile, he was alleged to have joined an underground party, Rijal Hawa Rijal, whose reform-oriented ideals attracted the attention of local political authorities. The elderly Ibn Khaldun was placed under arrest. He died on 17 March 1406, one month after his sixth selection for the office of the Maliki qadi (Judge).
Main articles: Islam And Modern Western Philosophies, Early Islamic Philosophy, Contemporary Islamic Philosophy
Kitab al-'Ibar
Ibn Khaldūn main work is the Kitāb al-ʻIbar or "Book of Lessons" (full title: Kitāb al-ʻIbar wa-Dīwān al-Mubtada' wa-l-Khabar fī Ta'rīkh al-ʻArab wa-l-Barbar wa-Man ʻĀṣarahum min Dhawī ash-Sha'n al-Akbār "Book of Lessons, Record of Beginnings and Events in the History of the Arabs and the Berbers and Their Powerful Contemporaries"), originally conceived as a history of the Berbers but later expanded in focus to a universal history.
The Kitāb al-ʻIbār divides into seven books. Al-Muqaddimah (Introduction), is considered the first book. Books Two to Five cover World History of Humanity up to the authors own time. Books Six and Seven give the history of the Berber peoples and the Maghreb. Despite errors originating in the 14th century Fez work, Rawḍ al-Qirṭās, (probably by Ibn Abi Zar), from which Khaldun drew upon, al-'Ibar remains an important source for Berber history. The historiographical work has been further criticised for its synthesis of multiple (sometimes contradictory) sources in the absence of original citations, and here Khaldun departs from the classical style of Arab historians such as Ibrahim ibn ar-Raqīq (~d.1028) or al-Mālikī.
Concerning the discipline of sociology, he described the dichotomy of sedentary life versus nomadic life as well as the inevitable loss of power that occurs when warriors conquer a city. According to the Arab scholar Sati' al-Husri, the Muqaddimah may be read as a sociological work. The work is based around Ibn Khaldun's central concept of 'aṣabiyyah, which has been translated as "social cohesion", "group solidarity", or "tribalism". This social cohesion arises spontaneously in tribes and other small kinship groups; it can be intensified and enlarged by a religious ideology. Ibn Khaldun's analysis looks at how this cohesion carries groups to power but contains within itself the seeds – psychological, sociological, economic, political – of the group's downfall, to be replaced by a new group, dynasty or empire bound by a stronger (or at least younger and more vigorous) cohesion. Some of Ibn Khaldun's views, particularly those concerning the Zanj people of sub-Saharan Africa, have been cited as a racist, though they were not uncommon for their time. According to the scholar Abdelmajid Hannoum, Ibn Khaldun's description of the distinctions between Berbers and Arabs were misinterpreted by the translator William McGuckin de Slane, who wrongly inserted a "racial ideology that sets Arabs and Berbers apart and in opposition" into his translation of the Muqaddimah.
Perhaps the most frequently cited observation drawn from Ibn Khaldūn's work is the notion that when a society becomes a great civilization (and, presumably, the dominant culture in its region), its high point is followed by a period of decay. This means that the next cohesive group that conquers the diminished civilization is, by comparison, a group of barbarians. Once the barbarians solidify their control over the conquered society, however, they become attracted to its more refined aspects, such as literacy and arts, and either assimilate into or appropriate such cultural practices. Then, eventually, the former barbarians will be conquered by a new set of barbarians, who will repeat the process. One contemporary reader of Khaldun has read this as an early business cycle theory, though set in the historical circumstances of the mature Islamic empire.
Ibn Khaldun outlines an early example of political economy. He describes the economy as being composed of value-adding processes; that is, labour and skill is added to techniques and crafts and the product is sold at a higher value. He also made the distinction between "profit" and "sustenance", in modern political economy terms, surplus and that required for the reproduction of classes respectively. He also calls for the creation of a science to explain society and goes on to outline these ideas in his major work, the Muqaddimah. Ibn Khaldun diverged from norms that Muslim historians followed and rejected their focus on the credibility of the transmitter and focused instead on the validity of the stories and encouraged critical thinking.
Ibn Khaldun also believed that the currency of an Islamic monetary system should have intrinsic value and therefore be made of gold and silver (such as the dirham). He emphasized that the weight and purity of these coins should be strictly followed: the weight of one dinar should be one mithqal (the weight of 72 grains of barley, roughly 4.25 grams) and the weight of 7 dinar should be equal to weight of 10 dirhams (7/10 of a mithqal or 2.96 grams).
Ibn Khaldun's epistemology attempted to reconcile mysticism with theology by dividing science into two different categories, the religious science that regards the sciences of the Qur'an and the non-religious science. He further classified the non-religious sciences into intellectual sciences such as logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, etc. and auxiliary sciences such as language, literature, poetry, etc. He also suggested that possibly more divisions will appear in the future with different societies. He tried to adapt to all possible societies' cultural behavior and influence in education, economics and politics. Nonetheless, he didn't think that laws were chosen by just one leader or a small group of individual but mostly by the majority of the individuals of a society.
To Ibn Khaldun, the state was a necessity of human society to restrain injustice within the society, but the state means is force, thus itself an injustice. All societies must have a state governing them in order to establish a society. He attempted to standardize the history of societies by identifying ubiquitous phenomena present in all societies. To him, civilization was a phenomena that will be present as long as humans exist. He characterized the fulfillment of basic needs as the beginning of civilization. At the beginning, people will look for different ways of increasing productivity of basic needs and expansion will occur. Later the society starts becoming more sedentary and focuses more on crafting, arts and the more refined characteristics. By the end of a society, it will weaken, allowing another small group of individuals to come into control. The conquering group is described as an unsatisfied group within the society itself or a group of desert bandits that constantly attack other weaker or weakened societies.
In the Muqaddimah, his most important work, he thoughtfully and scrupulously discusses an introduction of philosophy to history in a general manner, based on observable patterns within a theoretical framework of known historical events of his time. He described the beginnings, development, cultural trends and the fall of all societies, leading to the rise of a new society which would then follow the same trends in a continuous cycle. Ibn Khaldun did not create a perfect model for a society during his life, but he did think there was a need for a new model to manage society to ensure its continuous economic growth. Also, he recommended the best political approaches to develop a society according to his knowledge of history. He heavily emphasized that a good society would be one in which a tradition of education is deeply rooted in its culture. Ibn Khaldun (1987) introduced word asabiya (solidarity, group feeling, or group consciousness), to explain tribalism. The concept of asabiya has been translated as "social cohesion," "group solidarity," or "tribalism." This social cohesion arises spontaneously in tribes and other small kinship groups (Rashed,2017).
Ibn Khaldun believed that too much bureaucracy, such as taxes and legislations, would lead to the decline of a society, since it would constrain the development of more specialized labor (increase in scholars and development of different services). He believed that bureaucrats cannot understand the world of commerce and do not possess the same motivation as a businessman.
In his work the Muqaddimah, Ibn Khaldun emphasizes human beings' faculty to think (fikr) as what determines human behavior and ubiquitous patterns. This faculty is also what inspires human beings to form into a social structure to co-operate in division of labor and organization. According to Zaid Ahmand in Epistemology and the Human Dimension in Urban Studies, the fikr faculty is the supporting pillar for all philosophical aspects of Ibn Khaldun's theory related to human beings' spiritual, intellectual, physical, social and political tendencies.
Another important concept he emphasizes in his work is the mastery of crafts, habits and skills. These takes place after a society is established and according to Ibn Khaldun the level of achievement of a society can be determined by just analyzing these three concepts. A society in its earliest stages is nomadic and primarily concerned with survival, while a society at a later stage is sedentary, with greater achievement in crafts. A society with a sedentary culture and stable politics would be expected to have greater achievements in crafts and technology.
Ibn Khaldun also emphasized in his epistemology theory the important aspect that educational tradition plays to ensure the new generations of a civilization continuously improve in the sciences and develop culture. Ibn Khaldun argued that without the strong establishment of an educational tradition, it would be very difficult for the new generations to maintain the achievements of the earlier generations, let alone improve them.
Another way to distinguish the achievement of a society would be the language factor of a society, since for him the most important element of a society would not be land, but the language spoken by them. He was surprised that many non-Arabs were really successful in the Arabic society, had good jobs and were well received by the community. "These people were non-Arab by descent, but they grew up among the Arabs who possessed the habit of Arabic," Ibn Khaldun once recalled, "[b]ecause of this, they were able to master Arabic so well that they cannot be surpassed." He believed that the reason why non-Arabs were accepted as part of Arab society was due to their mastery of the Arabic language.
Advancements in literary works such as poems and prose where another way to distinguish the achievement of a civilization, but Ibn Khaldun believed that whenever the literary facet of a society reaches its highest levels it ceases to indicate societal achievements anymore, but is an embellishment of life. For logical sciences he established knowledge at its highest level as an increase of scholars and the quality of knowledge. For him the highest level of literary productions would be the manifestation of prose, poems and the artistic enrichment of a society.
From other sources we know of several other works, primarily composed during the time he spent in North Africa and Al-Andalus. His first book, Lubābu l-Muhassal, a commentary on the Islamic theology of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, was written at the age of 19 under the supervision of his teacher al-Ābilī in Tunis. A work on Sufism, Shifā'u l-Sā'il, was composed around 1373 in Fes, Morocco. Whilst at the court of Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada, Ibn Khaldūn composed a work on logic, ʻallaqa li-s-Sulṭān.
A Laffer Curve with a maximum revenue point at around a 70%, as estimated by Trabandt and Uhlig (2009). Laffer cites Ibn Khaldun's observation that "at the beginning of the dynasty, taxation yields a large revenue from small assessments. At the end of the dynasty, taxation yields a small revenue from large assessments." as a predecessor.
Ibn Khaldun's historical method had very few precedents or followers in his time. While Ibn Khaldun is known to have been a successful lecturer on jurisprudence within religious sciences, only very few of his students were aware of, and influenced by, his Muqaddimah. One such student, Al-Maqrizi, praised the Muqaddimah, although some scholars have found his praise, and that of others, to be generally empty and lacking understanding of Ibn Khaldun's methods.
Ibn Khaldun also faced primarily criticism from his contemporaries, particularly Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani. These criticisms included accusations of inadequate historical knowledge, an inaccurate title, disorganization, and a style resembling that of the prolific Arab literature writer, Al-Jahiz. Al-Asqalani also noted that Ibn Khaldun was not well-liked in Egypt because he opposed many respected traditions, including the traditional judicial dress, and suggested that this may have contributed to the reception of Ibn Khaldun's historical works. The notable exception to this consensus was Ibn al-Azraq, a jurist who lived shortly after Ibn Khaldun and quoted heavily from the first and fourth books of the Kitab al-'Ibar, in developing a work of mirrors for princes.
Ibn Khaldun's work found some recognition with Ottoman intellectuals in the 17th century. The first references to Ibn Khaldun in Ottoman writings appeared in the middle of the 17th century, with historians such as Kâtip Çelebi naming him as a great influence, while another Turkish Ottoman historian, Mustafa Naima, attempted to use Ibn Khaldun's cyclical theory of the rise and fall of empires to describe the Ottoman Empire.Increasing perceptions of the decline of the Ottoman Empire also caused similar ideas to appear independently of Ibn Khaldun in the 16th century, and may explain some of the influence of his works.
In Europe, Ibn Khaldun was first brought to the attention of the Western world in 1697, when a biography of him appeared in Barthélemy d'Herbelot de Molainville's Bibliothèque Orientale. However, some scholars believe that Ibn Khaldun's work may have first been introduced to Europe via Ibn Arabshah's biography of Tamerlane, translated to Latin, which covers a meeting between Ibn Khaldun and Tamerlane. According to Ibn Arabshah, during this meeting, Ibn Khaldun and Tamerlane discussed the Maghrib in depth, as well as Tamerlane's genealogy and place in history. Ibn Khaldun began gaining more attention from 1806, when Silvestre de Sacy's Chrestomathie Arabe included his biography together with a translation of parts of the Muqaddimah as the Prolegomena. In 1816, de Sacy again published a biography with a more detailed description on the Prolegomena. More details on and partial translations of the Prolegomena emerged over the years until the complete Arabic edition was published in 1858. Since then, the work of Ibn Khaldun has been extensively studied in the Western world with special interest.
Early European works on Ibn Khaldun suffered heavily from colonial influences and orientalism, as many sociologists considered North Africa to be unworthy of studying in the19th century. Additionally, many sociologists viewed Ibn Khaldun as the only North African sociologist worth studying. Reynold A. Nicholson praised Ibn Khaldun as a uniquely brilliant Muslim sociologist, but discounted Khaldun's influence. Spanish Philosopher José Ortega y Gasset viewed the conflicts of North Africa as a problem that stemmed from a lack of African thought, and praised Ibn Khaldun for making sense of the conflict by simplifying it to the relationship between the nomadic and sedentary modes of life.
Ibn Khaldun's contributions to economics were ignored by historians like Joseph Schumpeter, who wrote that "we may safely leap over 500 years to the epoch of St Thomas Aquinas" as late as 1954. While Ibn Khaldun lived after St Thomas Aquinas, Schumpeter makes only passing references to Khaldun, and excludes Khaldun's predecessors. However, modern historians have recognized the contributions of Ibn Khaldun and many of his predecessors.
Modern historians have also been complimentary in their analysis of Ibn Khaldun's works, and acknowledgement of his contemporaries or standing compared to European scholars is increasingly common. Influential British historian and international affairs specialist Arnold J. Toynbee has called Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah "the greatest work of its kind." Ernest Gellner, once a professor of philosophy and logic at the London School of Economics, considered Khaldun's definition of government the best in the history of political theory.
More moderate views on the scope of Ibn Khaldun's contributions have emerged. Arthur Laffer, for whom the Laffer curve is named, acknowledged that Ibn Khaldun's ideas, as well as others, precede his own work on that curve. A focus on understanding the nuances of Ibn Khaldun's contributions is present, with scholars commenting on the specifics of Khaldun's work, such as "Ibn Khaldun chose to ignore all those crafts which are neither necessary…nor honorable" and that Ibn Khaldun "depicts what really happens. … he does not discuss whether the state ought, or ought not, to interfere".
As a historian and sociologist, Ibn Khaldun was recognized by the British philosopher Robert Flint, who wrote: "as a theorist of history he had no equal in any age or country until Vicoappeared, more than three hundred years later. Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine were not his peers, and all others were unworthy of being even mentioned along with him". Ibn Khaldun's work on evolution of societies also influenced Egon Orowan, who termed the concept of socionomy. While Ibn Khaldun's record-keeping is usually passed over in favor of recognizing his contributions to the science of history, Abderrahmane Lakhsassi wrote "No historian of the Maghreb since and particularly of the Berbers can do without his historical contribution."
Public recognition of Ibn Khaldun has increased in recent years. In 2004, the Tunisian Community Center launched the first Ibn Khaldun Award to recognize a Tunisian/American high achiever whose work reflects Ibn Khaldun's ideas of kinship and solidarity. The Award was named after Ibn Khaldun for him being universally acknowledged as the Father of Sociology and also for the convergence of his ideas with the organization's objectives and programs. In 2006, the Atlas Economic Research Foundation launched an annual essay contest for students named in Ibn Khaldun's honor. The theme of the contest is "how individuals, think tanks, universities and entrepreneurs can influence government policies to allow the free market to flourish and improve the lives of its citizens based on Islamic teachings and traditions." In 2006, Spain commemorated the 600th anniversary of the death of Ibn Khaldun, by orchestrating an exhibit titled "Encounter of Civilizations: Ibn Khaldun." In 2011, Ibn Khaldun's birthday was recognized by a Google Doodle, which was publicized in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Kitāb al-ʻIbar wa-Dīwān al-Mubtada' wa-l-Khabar fī Ta'rīkh al-ʻArab wa-l-Barbar wa-Man ʻĀṣarahum min Dhawī ash-Sha'n al-Akbār
Lubābu-l-Muhassal fee Uswoolu-d-Deen
Shifā'u-s-Sā'il
ʻAl-Laqaw li-s-Sulṭān
Ibn Khaldun. 1951 التعريف بإبن خلدون ورحلته غربا وشرقا Al-Taʻrīf bi Ibn-Khaldūn wa Riħlatuhu Għarbān wa Sharqān. Published by Muħammad ibn-Tāwīt at-Tanjī. Cairo (Autobiography in Arabic).
Ibn Khaldūn. 1958 The Muqaddimah : An introduction to history. Translated from the Arabic by Franz Rosenthal. 3 vols. New York: Princeton.
Ibn Khaldūn. 1967 The Muqaddimah : An introduction to history. Trans. Franz Rosenthal, ed. N.J. Dawood. (Abridged).
Ibn Khaldun, 1332-1406. 1905 'A Selection from the Prolegomena of Ibn Khaldūn'. Trans. Duncan Macdonald
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After rolling out its Email Protection service in private beta last year, DuckDuckGo has announced that it's finally available to all users. Email Protection is a forwarding service that assigns you a free "@duck.com" email address and intercepts email trackers before they hit your personal inbox.
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Personal addresses assign a name of your choice to your duck address, like emma@duck.com. Meanwhile, private addresses take things a bit further — each time you start filling out an email field, DuckDuckGo generates a random address, which might look something like avtzqdr@duck.com. Using a new private address each time you fill out an online form should make it even more difficult for companies to track you. You can also deactivate each private address individually in case one's receiving a lot of spam.
DuckDuckGo will tell you how many trackers it blocked and which companies they came from.
Image: DuckDuckGo
Now that DuckDuckGo has opened the beta to everyone, it's adding a few new features as well. This includes link tracking protection, which removes any trackers embedded in the links added to emails (including those added to images). It's also rolling out a smarter encryption feature that converts any links using an unencrypted "http://" connection to a secure "https://" link. A URL using HTTPS prevents hackers — or your internet service provider (ISP) — from seeing how you interact with a website.
Additionally, DuckDuckGo now lets you reply from your duck address, whether you're using a private or personal one. This can help conceal your email address when replying to a company or person who you might not want to know your personal address or identity. But because the email is actually getting sent from your personal email client, like Gmail, DuckDuckGo says it "can't guarantee the email will not include your forwarding address or any other personal identifier."
DuckDuckGo has also rolled out a new self-service dashboard that lets you change your forwarding address, as well as make any other changes to your duck accounts. You can try out the beta for yourself by using the DuckDuckGo extension for Firefox, Chrome, and Edge, or you can access it through the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser for iOS, Android, and Mac (which is still in beta).
"The biggest threats to email privacy are trackers in emails and the profiling that happens via your email address," Omid Majdi, the product lead at DuckDuckGo, said in a statement to The Verge. "DuckDuckGo Email Protection addresses both of these issues and does so in a simple way — same inbox, more privacy — and we're thrilled to be making the beta open to all."
Why Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Moving Out of London
You Should Air Fry Your Peaches
Why Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Are Such a Big Deal
This Free App Alerts You Whenever Google Collects Your Browsing Data

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Active Listings Featured Hot Properties Sold Properties Famous & Notable
Back to properties
666 W Palisades Drive, 92262, Palm Springs, CA, USA
Category: Famous Homes Palm Springs
Amenities: Architectural, Celebrity Owned, Custom Built, Mid-Century
Air conditioning: Yes
Heating system: Yes
Hello, I found your listing on ps4sale.com. Please, send me more information about 666 W Palisades Drive, 92262, Palm Springs, CA, USA. Thank you.
Albert Frey (1903-1998), one of the most important modern architects of our time, lived and worked in Palm Springs since 1934. Over a long and prolific career, he produced more than 200 building designs, including such notable local landmarks as the Palm Springs City Hall and the Aerial Tramway Valley Station with John Porter Clark. Frey House ll, his long-time residence is perched on the hillside at the west end of Tahquitz Canyon Way. Frey House II, architect Albert Frey's second home in Palm Springs, completed in 1964. At the time it was built, it was at the highest elevation of any residence in the city. Frey took five years to select the site and a year to measure the movement of the sun using a 10-foot pole. "I had a very careful survey made showing the contours and all the rock," Frey told an interviewer. "Then I put up some strings to see how the design would work out. We then established the levels, and then I had to fit the glass to the rock. The slope of the roof follows the slope of the terrain," he said. "The contrast between the natural rock and the high tech materials is rather exciting." After reviewing his plans, Palm Springs City Hall called the design "crazy" but finally gave its approval.
It was the second Palm Springs house that Frey designed for himself and it has become a hillside landmark. Perched part way up the San Jacinto mountain, the house looks across the expanse of the Coachella Valley. It was designed to have as little impact on the surrounding environment. Measuring only 800 square feet, the house is compact but very functional. A concrete block podium forms the base for the simple steel structure house. It has a steel-frame with large spans of glass and sheathing in painted corrugated metal. A platform, parallel to the road, projects in front of the house and acts as a deck for the pool and as a roof for the carport below. The design included a flat corrugated-aluminum roof, overhangs to block the summer sun and sliding glass doors that open the interior to the exterior. The house has many walls of glass, which showcase the astounding views. The swimming pool and small deck function as the roof of the carport.
The upper level features a dining/work table and the bathroom, while the lower level includes a sitting area, master bedroom and kitchen. Frey added an additional guest bedroom (measuring 300 square feet) in 1967. Being keenly conscious of nature, Frey choose the color of his curtains to match the yellow Encilla flowers that bloom each spring in the desert. He also painted the ceiling blue.
One of the most famous elements of the property is the incorporation of a large boulder into the design. It protrudes into the house and acts as a divider between the bedroom and living room. By incorporating the boulder in to the design, Frey acknowledged our role with nature.
Jim Schwietz, CRS :: Realtor to the Stars.. like YOU! DRE #01229074
Website by NewWebExperts.com - Copyright © 2021
Home | Properties | Jim Recommends | Buyers | Sellers | Links | Contact | Media


My name is Kent Clayburn and I serve as the Director for Operations for the 24th World Scout Jamboree. Over the past years, I have been involved with many international Scouting functions ranging from my volunteer roles in the Boy Scouts of America to having just completed my term on the Interamerican Regional Committee.
The operations function for the 2019 World Scout Jamboree includes managing all the sub camps, IST and contingent support. I am building an international team of volunteers to effectively serve the needs of each National Scouting Organization in attendance.
One advantage we have in using the Summit Bechtel Reserve as our camp for this World Jamboree is that the site is ready to go; water lines, shower houses, and camp sites have all been used by the BSA for the National Jamboree in 2013 and will again be used in the summer of 2017 from July 19th through July 28th. Should they choose to attend, Heads of Contingents will have an opportunity to see the site in action in 2017. Tico Perez, BSA National Commissioner, and I will serve as the hosts for the Study Visit Program.
Included with this edition of the New World News is the Study Visit Attendance form for your International Commissioner to complete so approved adults can join us at the Summit Bechtel Reserve for the Study Visit.
Please have your International Commissioner complete the Study Visit Program Attendance form and return it to the office of the 24th World Scout Jamboree by the end of May, 2017.
In this edition of the New World News, there are additional details of the Study Visit Program. I strongly encourage interested participants to review the article. Additional instructions on the schedule, what to bring, and what to expect will be sent directly to those who register for the Study Visit Program.
As the Director of Operations, I invite you and the Scouts of your NSO to Unlock a New World and join us for all the 24th World Scout Jamboree has to offer!


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These cookie bars are the result of a little bit of mixing and matching some of my favourite ingredients. I love using peanut butter, especially with chocolate, and rolled oats always make things seem more nutritious. And, even though I'm not a massive fan of caramel, I was curious about the new caramel M&Ms. I thought they might have a gooey centre but they're a firm caramel and they're pretty darn tasty, and a nice little match to the peanut butter.
As far as I can tell, the name 'monster cookie' came about because they are like the Frankenstein of the cookie world – lots of different ingredients combined to make one cookie. Or it could be because the cookies all seemed to be monstrous in size, bigger than your hand. I decided to turn cookies into bars because sometimes you can't be bothered scooping out cookies, you just want to press everything into a tin and shove it into the oven. Lazy people – it gets even better, because these are made in just one bowl. I was hoping the caramel M&Ms would melt and become gooey, but even after baking they stayed a nice firm caramel, which I think is a better result. These are a great little lunchbox filler because they're sturdy and transportable, which means they're also perfect for taking away during the fast approaching Christmas holidays.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 9×13″ baking tin.
Put the butter in a medium heat proof bowl and microwave it until it is melted, around 40 seconds. Whisk in the peanut butter.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Don't forget to add the melted butter mixture.
Press the dough into the prepared tin and scatter over the M&Ms. Press them down into the dough.
Bake for around 20 minutes, or until the edges start to lightly brown.
Remove from the oven, and then while it's still hot, press down the M&Ms again, as they will have risen with the dough.
Let it cool before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.


We had great fun filming this one for Frances and David. The best man speech was one of many highlights on the day. It was also a privilege to be able to film Frances's family, many of whom, live abroad and rarely manage to get together.
Posted on November 5, 2014 by Ali Burden-Blake and filed under Wedding videos, Wedding Films, University of Glasgow, Cottiers Wedding and tagged University of Glasgow Chapel Cottiers theatre and restaurant scottish wedding videos wedding videographer.


Charles Caudrelier, the skipper of Dongfeng Race Team, was keen to get going on Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 today as he prepared to set sail from Itajai in Brazil bound for Newport, Rhode Island in the USA. This is the first time in this long race that Caudrelier and his crew, sponsored by the Chinese car and truck manufacturer Dongfeng Motor Corporation, have set sail as the overall leader – by one point from MAPFRE.
And the Frenchman admitted they have been thinking about how to make the dream of winning the race come true over the final four legs. "It is a very important moment for Dongfeng Race Team because we are leaving Brazil and leading the race," said Caudrelier. "Of course we are thinking more and more about how to achieve our dream, but there is still a long way to go and there is still lots to fight for before the end of the race.
"We are very focused and motivated and happy to go. As soon as we ease the mooring lines we feel better," he added. The 5,700-nautical mile leg to Newport started with a short inshore sprint around the buoys off Itajai in warm sunshine and a light sea-breeze, before the fleet headed off towards the north-east corner of Brazil and the long journey north that is expected to take around 17 days.
In the inshore contest, MAPFRE got the best start and almost immediately Xabi Fernandez's team and Dongfeng Race Team rejoined the battle which has dominated this race from the start. At times the boats were just metres apart as the helmsmen looked to squeeze every ounce of speed out of their boats watched by a sizeable spectator fleet.
As the fleet headed off out to sea after 40 minutes of racing and six mark roundings, MAPFRE held the advantage with Dongfeng in second place, 41 seconds behind. Then came Team Brunel which won the last leg through the Southern Ocean, at one minute and 5 seconds, and then Turn the Tide on Plastic (1.18), Team AkzoNobel (1.46), Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag (2.59) and finally Vestas 11th Hour Racing (3.19).
This leg sees the return of Stu Bannatyne to Dongfeng's race crew. The Kiwi veteran of seven previous Volvo Ocean Race campaigns reckons the Chinese team just needs to keep sailing consistently and the results will keep coming.
"I'm looking forward to getting back into it. We have got to keep doing what we have been doing - just sail smart and avoid making mistakes and we will see how it pans out," said Bannatyne.
"It is a very tricky part of the race with only four legs left to go. There are still a lot of points up for grabs. We have just got to keep the consistency and not get too focused on the end but make sure we do every step along the way as well as we can," he added.
Chinese sailor Chen Jinhao, also known as Horace, was ready for battle as always. "After Leg 7, of course every team was tired, including us, but we have had a good time for recovery and to be ready for Leg 8. Now Leg 8 is here and the team, the people and the boat are ready to fight for the last four legs," he said.
"The race is almost finished and it will be the end of the fight. This morning there was a touching moment as we all thought about the reasons why we are here and the mission that we have left to do. Now we are in a good position and the last four legs will be very, very tough and very tight but we are ready for this. We are ready to fight," he added.
Marcel van Triest, the Dongfeng Race Team meteorologist, has been in Itajai helping Caudrelier and his navigator Pascal Bidegorry prepare for a complex leg that requires the teams to tackle the St Helena High, two phases of trade wind sailing, the Doldrums and finally the effects of the Gulf Stream.
Van Triest says the start of the leg looks straightforward but it's going to get complicated pretty quickly as the boats head towards Recife. "The breeze will slowly build and by sunset it will be in the mid-teens and 20-21 knots by midnight, with the boats all on the wind," he said.
Dongfeng Race Team is taking part in its second consecutive Volvo Ocean Race, having finished third overall in 2014-15. The team is committed to trying to win the race but also to helping to develop the sport of offshore racing in China.


text:
Q: How to reverse traverse a nested hashtable in PowerShell In a previous question, I was given a solution for finding the name of a key by its value. Unfortunately I neglected to consider the application of Security Groups
Old hashtable and working function
$Departments = @{
    'Sales' = @{
        'SAM' = 'Manager'
        'SAP' = 'Person'
    }
    'IT'    = @{
        'ITM' = 'Manager'
        'ITS' = 'Specialist'
        'ITT' = 'Technician'
        'ITC' = 'Consultant'
    }
}

function Get-DepartmentOU {
    Param (
        [CmdletBinding()]
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [System.String]
        $RoleCode
    )

    # Get the DictionaryEntry in the main Hashtable where the nested Hashtable value matches the role you are looking for.
    $Department = $script:Departments.GetEnumerator() | Where-Object { $_.Value.ContainsKey($RoleCode) }

    # Print the name of the DictionaryEntry (Your department) and retrieve the value from the Hashtable for the role.
    "Department: $($Department.Name) Job Title: $($Department.Value[$RoleCode])"

}

$JobCode = "SAM"
$DepartmentInfo = Get-DepartmentOU -RoleCode $JobCode
$DepartmentInfo

OUTPUT:   Department: Sales Job Title: Manager
The above works excellently, however I've now created a deeper hashtable and need to do the same thing, just another level to extract more information.
New hashtable
$Departments = @{
    "Parts" = @{
        "SG-Parts" = @{
            "PAM" = "Parts Manager"
            "PAA" = "Parts Advisor"
        }
    }
    "Sales" = @{
        "SG-Sales"          = @{
            "SAP" = "Sales Person"
            "SAR" = "Receptionist"
        }
        "SG-Sales Managers" = @{
            "SGM" = "General Manager"
            "SAM" = "Sales Manager"
        }

    }
}

How should I change the working function to display the text contained in the key
OUTPUT:   SG: SG-Sales Managers Department: Sales Job Title: Manager

This may help to visualize the data structure that @mathias-r.-jessen's 'flat role table/map' code generates:
$Rolemap = @{
    "PAC" = @{
        "Title"      = "Parts Consultant"
        "SG"         = "SG-Parts"
        "Department" = "Parts"
    }
    "PAA" = @{
        "Title"      = "Parts Advisor"
        "SG"         = "SG-Parts"
        "Department" = "Parts"
    }
    "SGM" = @{
        "Title"      = "General Manager"
        "SG"         = "SG-Sales Managers"
        "Department" = "Sales"
    }
}

The original data structure is quicker for humans to modify as needed as it mimics a common small-scale Active Directory setup.
When using the original data format, each new role addition only has to be added to the correct 'group' within the hashtable. However, reversing the "SAM" = "Sales Manager" to "Sales Manager"="SAM" may help for legibility and logic / structure.
I used $RoleMap |Format-Custom and some manual typing to build the generated table visualization text.

A: Create a new flat role table from your OU-like hashtable structure:
$RoleMap = @{}

foreach($departmentCode in $Departments.psbase.Keys){
    foreach($sgCode in $Departments[$departmentCode].psbase.Keys){
        foreach($roleCode in $Departments[$departmentCode][$sgCode].psbase.Keys){
            # Create a summary object that includes all 3 pieces of information
            # Store in role table and use the "role code" as the key
            $RoleMap[$roleCode] = [pscustomobject]@{
                Title = $Departments[$departmentCode][$sgCode][$roleCode]
                SG = $sgCode
                Department = $departmentCode
            }
        }
    }
}

Now you can avoid ...GetEnumerator() | Where-Object { ... } completely when resolving the role code:
function Get-DepartmentOU {
    param(
        [CmdletBinding()]
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]
        $RoleCode
    )

    if($script:RoleMap.Contains($RoleCode)){
        # `Where-Object` no longer needed!
        $roleDescription = $script:RoleMap[$RoleCode]

        "SG: $($roleDescription.SG) Department: $($roleDescription.Name) Job Title: $($roleDescription.Title)"
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Thousands Sign Petition Calling for Columbia to Remove Anti-Zionist Professors [incl. Hamid Dabashi, Rashid Khalidi, Mahmood Mamdani, Joseph Massad]
by Aaron Bandler
https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/25924/thousands-sign-petition-calling-for-columbia-to
Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for Columbia University to remove anti-Zionist professors from campus.
The petition from #StopAntisemitism states that Columbia populated the university with professors that "well-documented histories of demonizing Israel and the Jewish people" and allows "these professors to freely spread their hateful propaganda without leaving any room for more balanced opinions."
#StopAntisemitism provided a list of 12 professors as examples, which includes Hamid Dabashi, the professor who has referred to Zionists as "hyenas" and "master thieves." Another professor, Rashid Khalidi, has downplayed the danger that the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups pose to the United States and was allegedly a spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Other Columbia professors have denied Israel's right to exist altogether. For instance, Mahmood Mamdani has said that "Jews can have a homeland in historic Palestine, but not a state." Similarly, Joseph Massad has said, "The Jews are not a nation" and that Israel "is a racist state that does not have a right to exist."
"This cuts more deeply for students who happen to be Jewish or support the state of Israel, because they will most likely be attacked, bullied, and harangued into supporting the destruction of the only Jewish state," the #StopAntisemitism website states. "As supporters of open debate and rigorous academic inquiry, we must ask if this environment truly encourages debate among those with differing viewpoints."
The petition advocates for Columbia "to condemn anti-Semitism, to remove professors who bluntly promote anti-Israel propaganda, and to hire professors who will provide their students with balanced views of the Middle East." It also calls on Columbia to disclose any foreign funding they are receiving.
As of publication time, the petition has received more than 4,500 signatures; the goal is 5,000.
Columbia has not responded to the Journal's request for comment.
Related Topics: Columbia University, Hamid Dabashi, Joseph Massad, Mahmood Mamdani, Rashid Khalidi receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free mef mailing list


text:
Vietnamese woman discovers diesel in household water well
By Duc Hung &nbspApril 11, 2018 | 02:11 pm GMT+7
The water from a water well in Ha Tinh Province is tainted with diesel. Photo by VnExpress
Locals suspect a nearby gypsum mine is to blame after diesel from its tanks leaked into the environment last year.
Test results on water pulled from a household well along Vietnam's north central coast have revealed traces of diesel, said an official on Tuesday.
Do Khoa Van, director of the Department of Science and Technology in Ha Tinh Province, said it appeared that oil had seeped into the well through groundwater.
Last week, local Thai Thi Hien, 39, detected the foul smell of petroleum coming from her family's well, and when she tried to light the liquid, it burst into flames.
She said her family has been using the well for 12 years, and "I've never seen anything like this."
Hien is not the only one in the area who is suffering from the problem. Six other households in the neighborhood have also reported the smell of diesel coming from their wells. Some also suspect that a gypsum mine in the area is to blame.
"Last year, diesel leaked from tanks at the gypsum mine, killing crops in the area," said Hiep, a local.
Van the science official said the locals' claims were not unfounded because there is no other source of oil in the surrounding area except the mine.
"When we questioned representatives from the firm, they denied it had caused the problem, but upon inspection, authorities found cracks in some of the oil tanks at the mine," he said.
Investigations are ongoing.
Cases of mining activities polluting the environment in Vietnam are nothing new. Last month, a tailings pond at a gold mine in central Vietnam breached its banks, releasing pollutants into a nearby river that contaminated the water and killed dozens of fish, sparking protests from locals. The firm has since sealed the breach with sand bags.
vietnam ha tinh
groundater
Reading: Vietnamese woman discovers diesel in household water well


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How smart is your 'Smart'-watch?
How smart is your 'Smart'-watch?
In the age of technology that revamps itself everyday, smartwatches are the new kid on the scene.
Smartwatches are basically watches that give you everything that a phone can, from an operating system to making calls. They mostly come with an accompanying phone and coordinate with it.
But the question: Although it has the suave factor and is an eccentric combination of style and tech, how good is a smartwatch? What attraction does it hold for us? And finally, Will it ever go mainstream?
Yes, smartphones are a niche concept. But it seems one of the boy's toys that anyone would kill to have their hands on. Why not? It combines two concepts – a smartphone and a watch and then takes it to whole new level.
The reason we are discussing this concept seriously is that we think it has the potential of going big and becoming more commonplace and popular in the coming time (just like tablets did). The other reason is companies have gotten curious about and although we are yet to see one in India we hope we do once the concept goes big.


text:
SPORTSWWE
Jake Atlas has signed a contract with AEW
AEW has hosted many people who have decided to leave WWE or received a sad phone call from Johnny Ace about a budget cut. Now another former WWE NXT Superstar has joined the ranks of Tony Khan.
Jake Atlas was released from WWE and later announced that he was giving up professional wrestling. That time didn't last long as he soon found his way to the AEW.
Tony Khan made a big announcement on Twitter that Jake Atlas has signed a contract with AEW. Since TK has announced this on its own, fans may soon see Jake Atlas on TV.
Congratulations on winning yesterday's test match, Jake Atlas! What a wonderful @AEW debut and now @kennymarquez, I see you tomorrow night at the #AEWDynamite debut on @TBSNetwork in Newark! Safe travel and…
Jake Atlas previously worked on AEW Dark Tape. Many thought he had signed it, but they waited until the episode aired to formalize the news.
Atlas is not only a great fighter, but he also has some very good friends at AEW. He is a very close friend of Jungle Boy and others. Needless to say, it fits directly.
H Jenkins
I love professional wrestling and I hate BS. These two things drive me. Many years of writing, journalism and exclusive insider data digging experience for Acesparks News. Prior to working in Pro Wrestling journalism, he worked in finance. Professional beach balls at pro-wrestling shows, if anyone catches them, dive in, fight hooligans, pineapple in olives and pizza.
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WWE acesparks - January 18, 2022 0
Charlotte Flair wants a full program with Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable female WWE superstars in the women's section right now. There is no doubt...
Fans criticized Lita for her participation in the women's Royal Rumble match
Lita is undoubtedly one of the pioneers of women's wrestling in the world of professional wrestling. She paved the way for future...


Spacetime Studios > Arcane Legends > Arcane Legends > AL Suggestions and Feedback > Getting more marketing slots with gold?
View Full Version : Getting more marketing slots with gold?
Is there any way without buying "platinum"?
with earning Platinum from free offers.
No, there isn't. Spending Platinum is the only way to get more slots.


text:
import cppyy
import os
import sys

def get_naoth_dir():
    script_path = os.path.abspath(__file__)
    return os.path.abspath(os.path.join(script_path, "../../../../"))

def get_toolchain_dir():
    toolchain_path = os.path.join(
        os.path.abspath(os.environ["NAO_CTC"]), "../")
    return toolchain_path

if __name__ == "__main__":
    naoth_dir = get_naoth_dir()
    toolchain_dir = get_toolchain_dir()

    # load shared library: all depending libraries should be found automatically
    shared_lib_name = "libscriptsim.so"
    if sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
        shared_lib_name = "scriptsim.dll"
    elif sys.platform.startswith("darwin"):
        shared_lib_name = "libscriptsim.dylib"

    cppyy.load_library(os.path.join(
        naoth_dir, "NaoTHSoccer/dist/Native/" + shared_lib_name))

    # add relevant include paths to allow mapping our code
    cppyy.add_include_path(os.path.join(
        naoth_dir, "Framework/Commons/Source"))

    cppyy.include("Tools/Math/ConvexHull.h")
    cppyy.include("Tools/Math/Vector2.h")

    x = cppyy.gbl.std.vector[cppyy.gbl.Vector2d]()
    x.push_back(cppyy.gbl.Vector2d(0.0, 0.0))
    x.push_back(cppyy.gbl.Vector2d(1.0, 1.0))
    x.push_back(cppyy.gbl.Vector2d(-1.0, 1.0))
    x.push_back(cppyy.gbl.Vector2d(0.0, 0.5))
    y = cppyy.gbl.ConvexHull.convexHull[cppyy.gbl.Vector2d](x)

    y = list(y)
    for elem in y:
        print(elem.x, elem.y)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
After the fall of Aleppo
Yassamine Mather
Before the death of ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on January 8 (an event that has dominated Iranian politics and news), Iranian clerics and leaders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards had been competing with each other in making exaggerated claims about the significance of the fall of Aleppo: it was a victory against "heresy" and for the "ascendancy of Shia Islam". One cleric called on Iranians (presumably he meant the Revolutionary Guards already in Syria) to clean up Aleppo, as the 12th Shia Imam would soon be paying a visit!
This, together with the triumphalism during the inspection of the ruins of east Aleppo by major general Qasem Soleimini (credited with commanding Iranian troops in Syria's recent battles), should be condemned. The intervention of Iran and Russia in Syria has cost the lives of thousands of civilians. All such foreign intervention – be it by the US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Russia – should be condemned, and Iran and Russia cannot be exempt from this on the basis that they were invited by the Syrian regime.
Having said that, we now have a clearer picture of the final days of the battles in and around east Aleppo. The latest round of 'peace talks' between some rebel groups and Turkey, Iran and Russia gives an indication of who backed the main armed rebel groups. Most of these groups, far from being democratic, secular forces, were close to Turkey's Islamic nationalist president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The extended participation of Syrian Kurds on the same side as those fighting against 'rebels' in Aleppo (in other words, on the same side as Hezbollah and other Shia groups) demonstrates that accusations of Turkish involvement in arming and sponsoring a section of the rebels in east Aleppo should be taken seriously.
By all accounts, at least since 2015 the claim that the Free Syrian Army represents moderate or secular forces has been untenable.
It is worthwhile repeating what Ben Hall, in his book, Inside Isis: the brutal rise of a terrorist army, tells us. The FSA leading light, Abdul Jabbar al-Oqaidi, who was promoted by the US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, has never denied his support for jihadist groups – to the embarrassment of the US authorities. After the battle for Al Menagh, al-Oqaidi's victory speech is quoted by many to show that, while he was on the US government's Syria support payroll, he fought alongside and publicly praised IS fighters, calling them "heroes".
Robert Fisk gave us a similar view in 2015, when he wrote about claims that the Syrian regime was not fighting IS:
This rubbish has reached its crescendo in the on-again, off-again saga of the Syrian 'moderates'. These men were originally military defectors to the FSA, which America and European countries regarded as a possible pro-western force to be used against the Syrian government army. But the FSA fell to pieces, corrupted, and the 'moderates' defected all over again, this time to the Islamist Nusra Front or to Isis, selling their American-supplied weapons.Washington admitted their disappearance, bemoaned their fate, concluded that new 'moderates' were required, persuaded the CIA to arm and train 70 fighters, and this summer packed them off across the Turkish border to fight – whereupon all but 10 were captured by Nusra and at least two of them were executed by their captors. Just two weeks ago, I heard in person one of the most senior ex-US officers in Iraq – David Petraeus's former No2 in Baghdad – announce that the 'moderates' had collapsed long ago. Now you see them – now you don't …1
In a letter to the Weekly Worker published on December 22, Hannu Reime made a number of claims in relation to my article, 'Reaping the harvest' (December 15), and I will attempt to reply to some of his points.
He wrote:
Yassamine seems to argue – obliquely, but still – that the Syrian uprising against the Assad tyranny was almost nothing else but a US, Saudi and Qatari regime-change scheme and had very little in common with the Arab spring in other countries of the Arab world, Egypt in particular.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I have written extensively on the importance and legitimacy of opposition to Bashar Assad, notably the protests of 2011 and 2012 and the opposition to the implementation of neoliberal economic policies by the Assads (father and son). I have also written in support of the Kurdish peshmergas, who were for a long time the only forces fighting IS and Al Nusra, and criticised their subsequent rapprochement with Russia and later the United States.
I am also very clear in my December 15 article that no-one should doubt the legitimacy of the opposition to Assad in 2011 and 2012. However, I believe that the deliberate destruction of Syria and the defeat of the genuine opposition to the Assad regime – after Saudi Arabia got involved and Turkey, Qatar, etc, intervened, supported by the United States – played an important role in changing the balance of forces among those fighting the regime, leading to the dominance of jihadist groups and forcing the secular opposition into exile. This is also the opinion of Syrian socialists in exile and what comrades I know in Beirut are saying. The population of eastern Aleppo had no allegiance to Al Nusra or pro-Turkey groups fighting in the city and it was right to express concern about the people of the city. That is why I opposed Russian air raids and opposed Iranian intervention in articles and in a number of interviews/debates on BBC Persian TV.2
Moreover, I do not equate calling for no-fly zones with pro-imperialist posturing. I just do not think it is a rational or practical suggestion. However, the 'socialists' mentioned in my article have called unambiguously for 'humanitarian' imperialist intervention. That is what I am arguing against. Imperialist intervention is part of the problem and will play no role in strengthening or saving the Syrian secular opposition. Any illusions the Kurds had about such interventions have been shattered in recent months.
In the last few weeks leftwing Syrian exiles have given a number of interviews, reminding us that there was a genuine opposition to Assad in 2011-12 and I agree with what they say. My only additional comment is that, once Saudi Arabia and the United States got involved in the conflict, it was inevitable that the much weaker secular opposition would be ignored by the 'international community'. On a far larger scale the same is true of Iran, where tens of thousands of workers have protested against the neoliberal economic policies of the clerical rulers, but there is no mention of their protests in most of the western media. This is not the kind of news they are looking for.
In the case of Syria's contemporary history, the constant betrayal of the 'official' Communist Party, its support for Hafez al-Assad and later his son, and the absence of an alternative left, meant that the working class movement was in a much weaker position when the conflict started. That is why I agree with those on the Syrian left such as Yassin Al Saleh, who says:
For 30 years, the Ba'ath Party has made a project of crushing all political life in Syria. So, when the uprising came, we had no real political organisations – only individuals here and there. Islam, in our society, is the limit of political poverty. When you don't have any political life, people will mobilise according to the lowest stratum of an imaginary community. This deeper identity is religion. When you have political and cultural life, you can have trade unions, leftist groups, and people are able to organise along any number of identities. But when you crush politics, when there is no political life, religious identity will prosper.3
Of course, we should blame the dictatorial regimes of Assad and Saddam for suppressing all secular opposition and paving the way for jihadist dominance. However, it remains the case that the main countries currently funding these groups are imperialism's allies in the region: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the emirates of the Persian Gulf.
I also disagree with those who argue that the US should have provided the heavy weapons required by Syrian rebels to defend themselves against the regime's air attacks, We have seen enough leaked documents to know that the US turned a blind eye when the Saudis and Qataris armed and financed jihadi groups, and we also know that such weapons have ended up in the hands of IS or Al Nusra.
Even if the weapons were 'defensive' – ie, anti-missile or anti-aircraft – the fact remains that they would have lengthened the military life of the murderous jihadists. Al Qa'eda's origins in Afghanistan should give some indication of how CIA anti-aircraft missiles not only saved the group from air attacks, but encouraged them to believe they had defeated one superpower – the Soviet Union – and they could do the same to the rest of the infidel world. In Syria any weapons supplied to non-Islamist groups have either been captured by jihadists (who were stronger and better armed than smaller groups, courtesy of the west's main allies in the region) or handed over by rebels who left the ranks of the 'moderate opposition' to join Al Nusra or IS. The idea that imperialism would have considered supporting secular, democratic forces within the Syrian opposition, as opposed to relying on Saudi Arabia, the emirates and their jihadist protégés, is both naive and contrary to the history of colonialism and imperialism – not only in Syria, but in the entire Middle East.4
It is understandable that, faced with the current devastating situation in their country, individuals in the Syrian opposition, including some socialists, still have illusions about western intervention. However, internationalist socialists have a duty to say they are mistaken. The battles in Syria are part of a bigger war, engulfing all of the Middle East. They are the direct result of the situation created after the collapse of Saddam's regime and subsequent Israeli and Saudi paranoia about Iran's Islamic Republic. Assad's Syria's remains a target for regime change, not because he is a progressive secular leader, as the Syrian Communist Party tells us, but because, if there is an Israeli air strike against Iran's nuclear installations, Syria and Hezbollah could facilitate Iranian retaliation. The pro-Zionist 'left' I was referring to is well aware of this and its advocacy of western intervention is in fact support for the state of Israel – such people could not care less about Syrian progressives.
Of course, that does not mean we should tone down our opposition to Assad or his allies in Iran, I am in favour of the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran and I have no sympathy with the Shia clerics' ally, the Assad regime. But the reality is that US failed attempts to overthrow the clerical regime in Iran and to impose regime change from above on its ally, the Syrian regime, have only strengthened both Damascus and Tehran.
1. www.independent.co.uk/voices/syria-s-moderates-have-disappeared-and-there-are-no-good-guys-a6679406.html.
2. The last of these was on December 22 and can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO6oQn49It4&feature=youtu.be.
3. https://theintercept.com/2016/10/26/syria-yassin-al-haj-saleh-interview.
4. See my article, 'The fall of the Ottoman empire and the current conflict in the Middle East' in Critique: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03017605.2014.972151.
Posted on February 8, 2017 July 15, 2018 Author y.matherCategories Articles
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Before we can trust any medical professional to deliver us the best care possible, there are so many different aspects of the professional's abilities and care delivery process that we must understand in order to gain full trust and confidence in them.
When it comes to chiropractic care, this trust and confidence is even more important, as many patients are still weary of the potential for chiropractic care to fix their musculoskeletal problems. The reputation of chiropractic care is constantly in flux, and with new patients or patients who have decided to pursue the services of a new chiropractor, that reputation is ever so important.
There is a series of characteristics that we can look for in a chiropractor to ensure that they are going to provide us with the best possible services, and the right treatment interventions for our specific conditions. Each case has to be specifically tailored to the needs of the individual, and while chiropractic care holds this specificity in high standards, there are still steps that can be taken to ensure a level of personalization in our care.
One of the most important things to do when choosing a chiropractor to meet your needs, is to interact with the chiropractor and ask all of the necessary questions before moving through your care pathway. Has the chiropractor dealt with a condition like this before? What are the benefits to this treatment? What are the potential risks? Interfacing with the chiropractic is absolutely vital. This will allow you to decide if it can help you meet your wellness goals.
If you like what the chiropractor has to say, the next step is to move through the evaluation. It is impossible to know what needs to be treated and how to treat a given problem with just a conversation about the problem and the potential treatment. The chiropractor needs to view the mechanics of the body, observe what causes pain, and perform certain diagnostics in order to get a handle on what is occurring in the body.
After the evaluation, the chiropractor and the patient can work together to form the right care pathway. Selecting a chiropractor does not have to be a stressful process as long as we keep certain things in mind. Communication, trust, and confidence in treatment are all core values of a patient seeking chiropractic care and holding these values to high regard is crucial.


text:
Springfield Model 1817
Flintlock Pistol [ 1817 ]
The Model 1817 emerged from the burgeoning Armory at Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Springfield Model 1817 Type 1 was a flintlock pistol produced out of the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. The pistol was chambered to fire a single shot in .69 caliber and featured a barrel length of 10.75 inches. She sported an external design much in line with the flintlock pistols of her day complete with a metal curved grip and applicable cock lever and flash pan (also known as a "frizzen"), both of the latter offset to the right side of the weapon's body. The trigger was fitted just under the major workings and set within a slim metal trigger guard. The barrel sat within the accompanying woodwork with the ramrod resting just underneath the barrel itself.
As an interesting aside, Springfield Armory had in fact produced the components that made up the Model 1817 pistol prior to the War of 1812 (the four-year, mostly-naval conflict between the United States and Great Britain). It was only after 1815 that the assembly of the pistols was completed and made available, production now being handled by Harper's Ferry and not Springfield Armory.
The Springfield Armory got its start way back in 1794 as a producer and supplier of military weapons to the burgeoning United States military. This particular installation was responsible for some 400 Model 1817s in circulation before the end of the pistol's production run.©MilitaryFactory.com
Flintlock Pistol
Springfield Armory; Harpers Ferry - USA
Flintlock; Ball Ammunition
Popular system of operation for some 200 years preceding the percussion cap, this action involves a piece of flint rock and falling hammer to generate sparks / ignition, therefore lighting propellant charge to drive ammunition from the chamber down the barrel and out through the muzzle.
.69 Ball
Sample Visuals**
Model 1817 Type 1
Right side profile illustration view of the Springfield Model 1817 Type 1 flintlock pistol; color


text:
Christmas Parade Killer Darrell Brooks, Jr., Sentenced to 1,067 Years in Prison, Say's He's "Repented and Asked God for Forgiveness"
Portrait of young woman standing outdoors in town and showing table Act Now. Female demonstrating board with protest against pandemic, political or environmental issues. Single protest.
Darrell Brooks, Jr., the homicidal, BLM-loving maniac who mowed down and killed 6 innocent people at a Christmas parade in Waukesha, WI last year has finally been sentenced to 1,067 years in prison–and more than 1200 years including an extended supervisory period.
Evidently, Brooks, Jr.'s defense strategy was not good enough to keep him out of prison for the rest of his days on earth.
Even by today's standards of lunacy in the world, Brooks antics in court were hard to believe. Sadly it is his ludicrous and wacko behavior that will be remembered by most, not the stories of the victims, or even their names.
Six innocents died following the horrific attack by an anti-Trump Black Lives Matter supporter at the annual Waukesha Christmas Parade last November.
Witnesses said that as the vehicle barrelled through the parade it picked up speed.
** 18 Children were injured and sent to hospitals in the demonic attack.
** 62 individuals were injured in total
** 6 died including a child
8-year-old Jackson Sparks died in the hospital two days after the attack when the BLM driver ran over him and dozens of others at the Christmas parade.
In total Brooks, Jr., killed:
Virginia Sorenson, 79 years old
LeAnna Owen, 71 years old
Tamara Durand, 52 years old
Jane Kulich, 52 years old
Wilhelm Hospel, 81 years old
Jackson Sparks, 8 years old
Throughout his trial, Brooks, Jr., behaved erratic at best, but more often than not, evil and unrepentant. He was first represented by attorneys, but then decided to represent himself. He first entered an insanity plea, but then rescinded it. He was removed from the courtroom numerous times for failing to follow the Judge Dorrow's orders. He removed his clothes in the courtroom and he was hostile to the point Judge Dorrow claimed she was "affraid" of him. He attempted to delay the trial, claiming he had Covid-19, however, refused to take a rapid test.
Darrell Brooks, Jr., removes shirt while removed from courtroom while defending himself in murder trial.
Perhaps the most ridiculous point of the trial was when he, Darrell Brooks, Jr., claimed that he was not, in fact, Darrell Brooks, Jr., stating that he did not identify as such.
Ultimately and to no sane person's surprise, Darrell Brooks, Jr., was indeed convicted of all 77 charges against him, including 6 counts of first degree intentional homicide.
What is most shocking, however, came during his sentencing when Brooks, Jr., now claimed to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
The Journal Sentinel writes:
Reaffirming his Christian beliefs, and occasionally quoting from the Bible, he said he wanted to clarify what he meant in closing statements when he said his "conscience was clear." He wanted people to know he was repentant.
"I made a decision to rededicate myself to Christ when this tragedy happened," Brooks said. "I have repented, that I have asked God for forgiveness."
Brooks also said he wasn't trying to "hide" the person he is and from what happened.
"I want everyone to know, including the community of Waukesha, not only am I sorry for what happened, but that you could not see what was truly in my heart … and all the tears that I dropped," he said.
But, he added: "It's not me who can take any pain away, replace what is lost and bring back joy. I think all that comes with belief in Christ, and all that comes with time. It's a process that we all have to go through."
While no one can really know if Brooks, Jr.'s, statement of repentance and seeking forgiveness are authentic in his own mind, shortly after making those comments, he once again became angered and hostile to Judge Dorrow and was removed from the courtroom again.
Regardless of his repentance claims, Brooks, Jr., will likely never see light outside of prison walls for the rest of his time on earth and worldly justice has been served.
The post Christmas Parade Killer Darrell Brooks, Jr., Sentenced to 1,067 Years in Prison, Say's He's "Repented and Asked God for Forgiveness" appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Jon Voight's Post-Midterm Message: "Wake Up America"
Corrupt Wisconsin Republican Assembly Majority Caucus Kicks out Election Integrity Champion Janel Brandtjen From GOP Caucus
New York to Offer 'Free' Taxpayer Funded Abortion Pills…
Don't Feel Alone – 7 Out of 10 Americans Are Unhappy…
Former Gabonese Ambassador to the United States Dies…
Requests from Benedikt


As the title says the site is under redevelopment. This is to make it easier and more accessible for all the members of our scouting community. The new features will help us post news quicker and more often, offer some extra features such as photo galleries, polls, and other fun stuff. Please be patient while we continue with the development! Thank-you.


Facebook Inc.'s recent disclosures on blocking suspicious accounts show that the company's efforts to root out election meddling are working — to a point.
What's not known is how much the social networking giant isn't catching and whether this "whack-a-mole" fight will ever end, as those wanting to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere can easily create replacement Facebook pages, groups and accounts.
Facebook said it blocked an unspecified number of additional accounts Tuesday because of suspected connections to foreign efforts to interfere in the U.S. midterm election through disinformation on social media. That's on top of the 115 accounts Facebook blocked earlier in the week and the 652 pages, groups and accounts it removed in August.
"This is a timely reminder that these bad actors won't give up," Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, said in a statement.
But social media companies still have work to do. By some measures, the spread of fake news on Facebook has declined since 2016, but the same can't always be said for Twitter.
The Knight study on misinformation points to a central problem that has emerged since 2016: It isn't just foreign agents spreading misinformation. Plenty of homegrown sites are at it too.
The study found that fake news is still being spread on Twitter, the vast majority of it from just a few sources.
Gill said that at this point, we simply "don't know enough" to say how the spread of misinformation has changed since 2016. That's despite a slew of academic studies that try to measure the spread and consumption of fake news on these services.


Eurovision is two hectic weeks, so it might be good to also plan some time to relax. Maybe getting in touch with nature or perhaps visiting a huge shopping mall? Whether it's one or the other, Lisbon has that and much more to offer. Here's five extra recommendations for what you can do in the Eurovision host city.
Our Welcome to Lisbon serie of articles continue as we approach the final destination: the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. We are less than two weeks away from the start.
In our last article, we recommended five sightseeing options for those who want to do more in the Eurovision host city than to simply watch the shows. Because five feels too little, we are giving you extra recommendations on what to do in Lisbon.
Many must have already heard of it, as Portugal has been represented by it in Eurovision in the past, but for those who didn't, Fado is one of Portugal's most known music genres. It is characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics mixed with a feeling of fatefulness or melancholia.
Many restaurants and night places in Lisbon often offer Fado nights, where you can enjoy it while having a meal or simply relax by listening to it… Many get emotional. While it is not hard to find a Fado House, it can get quite pricey so we'd recommend a thoughtful research and perhaps booking in advance – if possible.
Alfama, Mouraria, Graça or Lapa. Those are just a few of Lisbon's historical neighbourhoods. They go back in time, own a very peculiar architecture and so many unique traces worth seeing such as its distinctive colours, diverse tiles and narrow streets. If you intend to visit a few, expect a few stairs and ramps. While it might be a tiring journey, the memories – and pictures – will be worth the effort.
Talking about tiles, near Lisbon's center, you can find the National Tile Museum that preserves and presents its amazing and vast collection of tiles, a very Portuguese characteristic.
Cascais is coastal town in Portugal. It is not too far from Lisbon – 45 minutes by train – and will give you beautiful landscapes and a lot to see and do, including a meal near the ocean.
Just like the historical neighbourhoods mentioned above, Cascais goes back in time and also features historical traces and architecture. Despite the fact that it has become more and more popular among tourists, it still is way calmer than Lisbon. Once you're there, you can adventure yourself into so many things: check its old town, the scary Boca do Inferno (Hell's Mouth – a collapsed cave and series of highly weathered cliffs), rent a bike and explore one of the world's most famous surf beaches, Guincho, etc.
If Cascais is on your plans, take advantage of its train line and stop by Oeiras for more history, beach and a relaxing walk in its Passeio Marítimo of over 5km along the ocean.
There are so many different places where you can shop in Lisbon. An obvious one is its downtown, Baixa-Chiado, as it is amongst Lisbon's most popular places. Not only does it features countless unique traces, a lot of street artists, movement and restaurants, but also a big amount of stores, especially for clothing and souvenirs.
In Baixa, if you take Rua Augusta it will eventually lead you towards Terreiro do Paço where the EuroVillage will take place this year. It is iconic and a great square with an amazing view to the ocean.
Nonetheless, there's more places where you can shop in Lisbon. Its shopping centers are amongs the biggest ones in Europe. Colombo, Vasco da Gama – right next to Altice Arena – or the biggest Dolce Vita Tejo are just three of the main ones.
The Gulbenkian Foundation is located in Praça de Espanha and was established back in 1956. Its main purpose is focused on fostering knowledge and raising the quality of life of people through art, charity, science and education. Many events are held there such as exhibitions, collections and even concerts. Its agenda is constantly updated on its website and you can find anything to your own taste.
If by any chance, no event catches your attention during your stay in Lisbon, you still have the opportunity of visiting its beautiful garden. Not only its entrance is free of charge, but here's a great chance to relax after a big day.
And there you go. You now have ten of the many things you can do or visit in Lisbon. We hope you take advantage of such and enjoy what the city has to offer. Again, don't limit yourself to those, there's just so many things you can do. Have fun!


A conversation with Frank Muytjens, J.Crew's menswear master, about his life, work and inspiration.
moved to New York in 1994?
ME: Did you find it difficult to adjust to the American way of life when you arrived in New York?
that you get plenty of chances, everybody is supportive and they like you to succeed and bring innovative things to the table. So that made it easy for me to adjust. But there were a few things I had to adapt to. For instance, the Dutch are very direct: I had to learn to cushion that a little bit: not just saying what you want but putting it in a roundabout kind of way. I now think this is a nice way to deal with issues. It makes things easier and more fluid.
ME: What exactly is the 'American way of life'?
there is a saying: "Just act normal, that's crazy enough as it is!" That doesn't work here. You need to be a little crazy, you can't be normal. You have to bring a little extra to succeed. That's what I've always liked about living here.
ME: Is that still true today?
and on your toes at all time. Well, that makes you a mature and richer person. Because you are always learning. I am still learning and that's something that will never change. If you give that up and think you are there, you'll fail.
for J.Crew? Does art play a role in that?
FM: Art, nature, photography, architecture all play an important role. I always go back to the same sources but we are always able to put a new spin on them. Fashion history is also important in menswear. So it's a combination of influences from different fields.
important role. Did you introduce that when you started at J.Crew?
FM: Well, I think it's important to combine it with a more modern element.
ME: Talking about art. Who are your favourite artists?
FM: Well, there are quiet a few: Jasper Johns, Robert Longo, Brancusi, Kiefer, Richter, Picasso, Twombly. All the guys in fact who work in a tactile kind of element. There are so many! In architecture I really like Le Corbusier. I drew a lot of inspiration for the 2016 spring collection from John Lautner. And there's another architect, his name is Mickey Muennig. Almost all his houses are in Big Sur, California: everything made of redwoods. Still organic but in a more bohemian kind of way.
and fashion using art for its own benefit? Like LVMH whose new museum recently opened in Paris and the Prada family who opened their museum in Milan.
FM: That's a difficult question.
ME: How do you look at it?
inspire me. A while ago I saw a huge exhibition by Anselm Kiefer here in New York. I really loved it. Actually the first time I saw his work was at an exhibition in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 1985 and I have been a real fan ever since. And to me it's about the emotional process…I love visiting creative spaces like Castiglioni's studio in Milan or Brancusi's studio in Paris or even Rembrand's house in Amsterdam. The history and energy are inspiring.
ME: How do you use this inspiration?
fabrics in a different way. If I am inspired by Jasper Johns you will see a lot that is tactile. A black-and-white, greyish kind of tweed, etc.
ME: I have the impression that, say, twenty years ago fashion photography was a creative process and an art form. But we've kind of lost that since digitisation. And so inspiration had to come from somewhere else, and that was art, architecture, etc.
FM: That could certainly be one of the reasons.
FM: We do that on different levels. It starts when we design a collection. The line arrives here in our offices and there are racks and racks of clothes. That's where the editing starts. And we design more than we need. What you finally see in the stores is just a small percentage of the line we develop. But we have to give ourselves the creative freedom to circle back to those original concepts. And to make sure that those concepts come about. And to carry them through all the way to the stores. We also have different levels of stores. So we have to edit differently for every store.
ME: Where will J.Crew be creatively and visually three years from now?
menswear and I wouldn't want them to.
ME: What do you mean by 'change'?
season but at the same time we have to give them something new and they also need to know what to expect from us. We have to entice them when they enter the store. You can only do that if you take small steps. But we also have really great collaborations with outside brands like Macintosh and Alden, which give everything an extra layer.
FM: It was a pleasure.


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I bought the Android App on the strength of Koying joining.
His work on SPMC was outstanding.
All i want is a frontend for my Shield TV without addons apart from Plex and Skins and this fits the bill nicely.