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July 12, 2019 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment
For as long as man has existed, history has continually been written and has become the ever-growing foundation for our civilization. The ink used to pen the annals of history can be blood, sweat or tears or a combination of any of the three. The important aspect of history is a simple one; it happened at some point in time and it will remain anchored on the timeline of humankind at that very same place until the end of days. So, why is it that people try desperately to re-write, adapt, alter or even completely erase events of the past?
In surveying the last 2,000 years of post-biblical history, it is not difficult to find events that beyond the shadow of a doubt, show the severe depravity of man. The many documented wars within and between countries are some obvious examples. Additionally, many other tragedies have been added to the list. Genocides and ethnic cleansings abound. A very short list would include the Native American Genocide (the 1500s- 20th Century), Armenia (1915), Cambodia (1975), Rwanda (1990), Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992-1995), not to mention the Holocaust (1930s-1940s). Then there is slavery in America and Isalm's concept of "dhimmitude" when a non-Muslim is tolerated and protected when he/she pays a tax in a Muslim country as a "dhimmi." Unfortunately, almost every example cited above had something to do with religious beliefs and differences in one way or another.
None of the few tragic events of history that I just listed are denied by either side. Native Americans were massacred by pioneers over a period of time. Obviously, not all pioneers were killers and not all natives were killed, but within reason, the numbers are in, and nobody denies the veracity of these events. Nobody denies the Armenian Genocide. Nobody denies the ethnic cleansing that took place in Bosnia. Are people upset? They have the right to be! Are people ashamed? They should be! But nobody in their right mind will try to change the narrative in order to appease either side. So, why is there another set of rules for the Holocaust?
Germans are ashamed of the Holocaust. They have paid billions in reparation and restitution and continue to pay. Jews have moved on to rebuild but can never forget. Why are people offended by the Holocaust? Even worse, those who are offended are often people that had no connection to the catastrophe. They have no Jewish relatives and many were not even born when the tragedy occurred. So, for instance, when people in the United Kingdom say that the Holocaust isn't taught in school because it is offensive to some. Who do they mean? Some are afraid that the topic might trigger an anti-Semitic backlash in the classroom from Muslim students. Most European countries have laws against Holocaust denial with various levels of monetary fines and imprisonment. Tragically, the United Kingdom is not of them.
Occasionally, someone will come on the scene and work really hard at trying to make a case debunking the Holocaust, like in the trial between Debra Lipstadt (Holocaust Historian) and David Irving (Holocaust Denier.) For the most part, the Western world has not denied the Holocaust or any other genocide, but things are changing. I guess we could expect anti-Semites in America, being from the left, the right or political Islam, to try to rewrite history or water it down. We cannot stop them, and as long as it is properly taught in our schools, we should be fine. Well, I guess there is no guarantee of that either!
In early July, about one year after he made a statement about the Holocaust, a Florida school principal was let go. He had emailed a student's mother stating:" I can't say the Holocaust is a factual, historical event because I am not in a position to do so as a school district employee." Let's get something straight here. We are not arguing about Jewish casualties being exactly 6,000,000, a little more or a little less. We are not arguing about the exact number of Death Camps. We are not even arguing about the exact involvement of perpetrators versus by-standers and if they are equally accountable. We are arguing the validity of the entire "Final Solution to the Jewish question" from 1938-45. The principal also said that "not everyone believes that the Holocaust happened." What a shame that an educator responsible for a whole body of students would be such a coward. Eventually, he was let go, and while some headlines mentioned that he was fired, he simply was "reassigned" to another district position. If I didn't know better, it would almost sound like a promotion! Someone who doubts that the Holocaust ever happened shouldn't hold a position in our educational system, period!
Currently, anti-Semitism is lurking at almost every corner across the planet. BDS is working hard to demonize Israel. We now have several members of congress who are openly anti-Semitic. The last thing we need is for the Holocaust to be altered or taught as a possible myth in our school system. When do you stop when you start re-writing history?
Filed Under: Antisemitism, BDS, Featured-Post-1, Holocaust, Jewish, Muslims, Political Correctness, Sharia, United States
June 24, 2019 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment
New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) recently made a statement on Twitter that has garnered a lot of attention from both the Right and the Left. She said" The United States is running concentration camps on our southern borders, and that is exactly what they are…If that doesn't concern you…I want to talk to the people that are concerned enough with humanity to say that we should not…that NEVER AGAIN means something and that the fact that concentration camps are now an institutionalized practice in the home of the free is extraordinarily disturbing."
She has received a lot of criticism almost immediately after her tweet and continues to experience the "aftershocks" or her seismic faux pas. People have accused her of undermining the horrors of the Holocaust, comparing the incomparable, being ignorant of the facts of history and of course, being anti-semitic. In my eyes, all these accusations have some validity, yet, I cannot help but wonder why in 2019 we have to explain what a Nazi concentration camp was and why nothing, at least in America, even comes close to them?
Only 80 years after the building and filling of Nazi concentration camps, and the horrors that they entailed, we should not have to explain what they were to anyone. That is of course if the Holocaust had continually and properly been taught in schools and universities. We are always going to run into the occasional nutcase denier of major historical events or conspiracy theorist, but with the proper world history education, they should be easy to spot and debunk. Today, sadly…Not so much! So, to defend the memory of Holocaust victims and their surviving families, we have to explain, compare and defend the meaning of "Concentration Camps." Sad, but necessary!
One possible reason for ignorance is that people simply don't care. The 21st century has catapulted people into a world of virtual self-gratification with very little needs for factual and historical truth. Between artificial intelligence, social networks and a postmodern approach to everyday life, people don't see the need to live within reality anymore. To a degree, we all are invited to make our own reality, and it doesn't have to fit a grand narrative such as the biblical worldview. It simply has to satisfy our desires, not even our needs. We rename things, we ignore the original meaning of things or worse, we ignore that events ever happened. But as much as people try to erase history, history is here to stay. History can be ignored or re-interpreted, but it cannot be erased.
Some will say that AOC didn't really compare what takes place on our southern borders to the camps of the Holocaust because she never mentioned the words "German" or "Nazi" in her tweet. Unfortunately for her, she chose to politicize two words that put together, represent the timeless somber motto of the surviving global Jewish community; NEVER AGAIN! Once the word was out the connection was made, and since she has not recanted or apologized, it is hard to believe that she didn't mean to draw some kind of parallel. Of course, comparing our current administration to a Fascist government added insult to injury. Furthermore, after using "Concentration Camps" and "Never Again!" in a political context, she received an invitation to visit Auschwitz with Edward Mossberg who survived the camps and offered to be her private guide. She declined. What a missed opportunity to rectify her faux pas. There are only two reasons for that, she is either too proud to learn and be corrected or too antisemitic to care. Maybe a bit of both. Interestingly enough, her reason for declining was a bizarre statement about the Far-Right trying to politicize the incident. She said' "The last time you went on this trip it was reported that you also met w/ fringe Austrian neo-Nazi groups to talk shop, So I'm going to have to decline your invite. But thank you for revealing to all how transparently the far-right manipulates these moments for political gain."
AOC and those who back her up like Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, fail to understand the many differences between Nazi concentration camps and ICE internment facilities. While I do not expect AOC to read my commentary and honestly compare the two, I hope that some people, not so keen on the differences, would take the time to compare. Here are just a few things that you will not find on our southern borders:
• Forced labor
• Starvation
• Electrified fences
• Beatings
• Tattooed identification number
• No bathrooms
• Firing squads
• No doctors
And that is only a few of the elements you would find in Nazi concentration camps. These camps were designed to corral Jews in large numbers and create a war forced labor contingency. The work conditions and lack of food and hygiene were such that they quickly became death camps, and that is even before the full implementation of the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" with the running of places like Auschwitz-Birkenau. When the death camps were implemented, you could add these to the list:
• Gas chambers
• Crematoria
• Gruesome experiments on inmates including babies
• Long death marches in the snow
Yet, one of the most obvious differences between the Nazi Death Camps and ICE's detention centers is how people got inside them. During the Holocaust years, the Nazi war machine was systematically rounding-up Jews, outside of Germany, all over Europe through the railway system. They [the Nazis] went out of their way to gather Jews, put them on trains and send them to the camps. Let me repeat myself…the people were hunted down to be put in forced labor camps and later in death camps…THEY WERE HUNTED DOWN!
The migrants of today, coming to America, for whatever reason they might have–and many do have valid reasons to come– are coming to our country knowing that they are going to have to come through the ICE system (as understaffed, overworked and beyond capacity as it is). They are coming through knowing that if they want to have a chance to stay in the USA legally, they have to go through the system. And when I say "They", I mean anybody who wants to come to the USA, not just an ethnic group or religious group, anybody. They want to come to the USA for asylum and for a better life, and THEY ARE NOT HUNTED DOWN!
Could the "accommodations" be better on our borders? YES! But, please, do not compare ICE detention centers to Nazi concentration camps. By doing so, you are insulting the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, you are diminishing a world event that is already running the risk of sliding into oblivion, and you are politicizing a situation without any foundation to do so.
It is fascinating to me how the same group of people can from one side of their mouth state that maybe the Holocaust never happened or was grossly exaggerated, and from the other side of their mouth, use its terminology and history to validate their own agenda. Well, it's not really fascinating, it's more disturbing and despicable!
Filed Under: Antisemitism, Featured-Post-1, Holocaust, Jewish, Political Correctness, United States Tagged With: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, Concentration Camps
The US Senate Antisemitism Resolution: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!
On June 13, 2019, a joint resolution was introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, and Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, and on June 14, it passed unanimously! The resolution is a short document that unequivocally denounces antisemitism. It comes less than three months after the House brought another resolution of the sort, but changed the wording at the last minute to speak of "bigotry of all kinds" instead of clearly denouncing antisemitism. This is a bold and necessary move in the right direction at a time in our history when global antisemitism is increasing exponentially on a daily basis.
That resolution is definitely a move in the right direction. It uses words that cannot be misconstrued. The opening statement says " Antisemitism is a unique form of prejudice stretching back millennia that attacks the equal humanity of the Jewish people." It is indeed very unique and history's longest lasting hatred against one specific group of people. We need to take a close look at that bi-partisan resolution that was just passed unanimously. Indeed, we need to look at the good, the bad and the ugly! Let's start with the ugly.
What I think is very ugly, is the fact that we even have to pen such a resolution in 2019. How long will the Jewish people have to suffer unmerited persecution before the world wakes up to the reality of antisemitism? It is so despicable to have to come up with a resolution condemning antisemitism in all its forms, just a few months after a similar attempt was made, but watered down in its verbiage. It is pathetic that Senator Cruz would even have to list some of the myths that have been believed about the Jewish people. To be sure, I do not criticize Senator Cruz' initiative, but rather the fact that he would even have to delineate what antisemitism has done over the last two millennia.
One of the reasons why such a resolution is needed, as Mr. Cruz so clearly stated is that "Unfortunately, we're living in an era where the need for a strong and clear condemnation of antisemitism has become acute." The world has become desensitized to the hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Antisemitism is undergoing a transformation, a normalization that is making it more acceptable by the masses. How long before those who fight antisemitism become the very victims of the Jew haters? Not too long I am afraid. So now, let 's talk about the bad.
My goal is certainly not to denigrate the effort made by senators Cruz and Kaine, they are certainly very commendable. Yet, when I read the resolution, which is almost identical to what we call a "bill", I see a great list of condemnations that are all on point, and an extremely short closing statement reading " Resolved, That the United States condemns and commits to combatting all forms of antisemitism." As commendable as the resolution is, its conclusion is weak and definitely open-ended. It goes without saying that the purpose of such a resolution is to "condemn" antisemitism. As to the commitment to "combatting all forms of antisemitism", it sounds great, but these statements almost always remain that; statements! Condemning and combatting do go hand-in-hand, but few people end-up combatting.
If and when the bill becomes a law, then it can be to be enforced with all the consequences attached to its breaking. But, we are not there and we might never get there. Before it even has a chance of becoming a law, there should be some guidelines as too how people will be penalized, indicted and even convicted if and when they commit acts of antisemitism.
What the resolution fails to do is:
• Define the difference between antisemitism and freedom of speech.
• Define different levels of antisemitism such as thoughts, words or deeds. While the driving force behind it may be the same, there is a difference between calling someone a "dirty Jew" and throwing a Jew out the window as happened recently in France to Sarah Halimi,
• Define how the opponents of antisemitism will combat it. Real fines and real prison sentences need to be clearly established to deter potential perpetrators. Additionally, the law must be enforced when antisemitism acts are identified.
By now, you are probably asking yourself if there is anything left that would qualify as "good" in this resolution? The good in all of this is that we still have some politicians who care enough to speak up. They are not the majority, but they exist and they need to be recognized. It must be noted that support for Israel and a desire to fight antisemitism is easier to find among conservatives and evangelicals. This doesn't mean that the fight is one-sided. The bi-partisan aspect of this new resolution would prove the opposite.
That some people would recognize the gravity of the situation is encouraging, but the road to the eradication of antisemitism is long and chaotic. Obstacles such as political correctness, multiculturalism or fear of offending "anything Islam" are constantly in the way. Senator Ted Cruz was heard, and the resolution was passed. Now comes the hard part, combatting the beast in ways that can be measured before that resolution becomes another obscure number in the crowded pantheon of political rhetoric.
Filed Under: Antisemitism, BDS, Featured-Post-1, Israel, Jewish Tagged With: Resolution, Ted Cruz
Who Knew That BDS Could Benefit Israel?
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement continues to be the best-kept secret in a lot of circles, including the evangelical community. While its proponents will tell you that it was born in 2005 in "Palestine", the concept goes back in history, much earlier than that. It was also supposed to be modeled after the boycott of South Africa for apartheid (of course we are comparing apples to oranges here.) The boycott of Jewish people and businesses can be traced back to November 1938 during the "night of broken glass" know in history as "Kristallnacht", so it is anything but new!
Simply stated, BDS is a global campaign to demonize and isolate Israel. BDS proponents claim that the principle is valid for all people, countries and corporations, yet, to date, it has only been applied to Israel. It saddens me to meet people regularly in various churches who either don't know about BDS, know the acronym but understand very little about its meaning or even worse, know what it means and are mislead into supporting its goal. In all three cases, it can be very damaging to Israel and the Jewish people of the Diaspora. To be sure, I am not against the concept of boycotting, but I am against the idea of boycotting entities that are not guilty and/or the hypocrisy of selective boycotting.
Recently, an advisor in one of the European Union major courts recommended that products coming from the "occupied territories" be labeled as such so that consumers be made aware of their origins and make an educated decision regarding their purchase. I understand where they are coming from, but why is it that when they see the label "Made in China" they do not think for a second about boycotting China–a country guilty of human rights violations on so many levels? Why? Because China produces so much for the entire world that it would cripple and even collapse the global economy if people were consistent in their boycotts. And I am only taking one country as an example of the constant double-standard used on Israel. I could list many more.
Now, we could look at BDS and only see the negative, but if we want to make a difference, four steps are required: Comprehend, condemn, combat and conquer. You cannot win unless you fight and you cannot fight unless you are convinced that the cause is worth fighting against. It all starts with condemning it after you comprehend what it is all about and where it comes from. Each of these four steps builds upon the previous one. To be perfectly honest, I am not certain that we will be able to completely conquer and eradicate BDS. But each individual battle is well worth fighting even if the war keeps raging. Even if we cripple, delay, embarrass or just expose the BDS supporters and promoters, we strike against the beast. We cannot remain silent.
Comprehending and condemning usually happen back to back or even simultaneously, especially for those who read their Bible and understand the place of Israel in the plan of God for humanity. Combatting takes a special effort, concerted or individual. There is an unexpected way to combat BDS that could be viewed as soft, but nonetheless very efficient. It simply turns a negative into a positive, just like God did at the end of the book of Genesis when Joseph embraces his brothers telling them in Genesis 50:20″ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Joseph's brothers had sold him years prior, to a passing caravan and through God's providence, he had survived and become second in command to Pharaoh in Egypt. It could be argued that the 70 people from Israel who came to Joseph in Egypt because of a severe famine and grew to over one million, would have never survived were it not for God's intervention through Joseph. A good came out of a bad. Yes God can do that. He is God after all!
So let's make a good out of a bad in the realm of BDS. Here is how. We start to buy as many Israeli made products as we can and even invest in Israeli businesses. Most of you are probably thinking, "Well, I am not sure that I know any, and how would I recognize them. It would take so long?" Don't get discouraged, we have the BDS people to help us. They have already done their homework and are listing and updating lists of Israeli products and corporations to boycott. All we have to do is go on the sites, read who they tell the world to avoid supporting and what they tell us to stop buying, and do the exact opposite, et voilà! Start with this list. Don't bother reading the propaganda and fake reports, just make a note of the brands. Here is a much more comprehensive list by categories. Happy shopping!
Most of the products are good for you. Many of the corporations are greatly innovative. So buy Israeli, invest Israeli and visit Israel! Who knew that BDS could benefit Israel that much?
Filed Under: Antisemitism, BDS, Bible, Christianity, European Union, Featured-Post-1, God, Israel, Jewish, Palestinians, Political Correctness Tagged With: Boy, Divestment and Sanctions
May 27, 2019 By Olivier Melnick Leave a Comment
The Time to be a "Righteous Gentile" is Today!
After the Second World War, as Europe was coming to grips with the horrors of the Holocaust, it became evident that while most of the world turned its back on the Jewish people, some people found it in their hearts to help. While it was expected that Jewish people would help their own–and they did–help also came from Gentiles. By 1953, only six years after the war, Israel, then a modern nation since 1948, decided to start gathering information about those Gentiles who helped Jews during the Holocaust years. Gentiles became recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" based on three criteria as they helped Jews during the war years. First, they were not Jewish. Secondly, they acted risking their own lives and finally, they received no money in exchange for their deeds. In 2019, there are less than 27,000 Righteous Gentiles whose names Yad Vashem recognizes worldwide. In the scope of the six million innocent Jewish victims of the Nazi Death Camps, this is a drop in the ocean. But what about modern-day Righteous Gentiles? Do they exist? Who are they, and where are they?
In light of antisemitism's global rebirth, we need modern-day Righteous Gentiles more than ever before. I am convinced that at the rate Jewish hatred is growing, it won't be long before the global Jewish community will need help from outside once again. In some ways, we are already there when we consider the attacks in Pittsburg, San Diego, New York and the numerous–almost daily– incidents in Europe. How can we identify The Righteous Gentiles of today?
They read their Bible and they believe God's plan for Israel
Anytime one reads their Bible, not trying to allegorize the stories that God gave us, they cannot help but discover a theme throughout its pages: Israel and the Jewish people–from early in Genesis all the way to Revelation, and almost on every page of the Bible. This is not to say that one must read their Bible to love the Jewish people. There were and still are many people who might not be religious or have any spiritual connection, and yet, have nothing against the Jewish people. People of good will have always existed. Yet, I do believe that modern Righteous Gentiles will have a greater propensity to help Jewish people if they read their Bible. Taken literally, the story of Israel and the Jewish people is based on promises and covenants made between the God of Israel and various leaders of Israel. Except for the Mosaic Covenant (parallel to all the others AND conditional), these covenants are all connected, unconditional and based on God's unchanging character.
They love the Jewish people
Today's Righteous Gentiles, biblically motivated or not, simply love the Jewish people. They recognize Israel's existence against all odds and often contrary to human logic. There are a lot of Bible believers that could be called Christian Zionists. They believe in God's plan for Israel and in the restoration of the Jewish people in the land of Israel in the End-Times (Ezekiel 36-37). To an extent, that return to Eretz Yisrael has already begun and Bible believers live with a great expectation of God's fulfillment of His promises. When one believes in the God of the Bible, it is hard not to love the Jewish people.
They live their Bible
One important aspect of the Righteous Gentiles is that they not only believe the Bible, but they also live it daily. While no Bible believer is made instantaneously perfect by following the teachings of Yeshua of Nazareth, they are encouraged to live for Him and through Him. As a result, Righteous Gentiles strive to apply biblical principles to their own lives, just like the people of the French village of Le Chambon did during World War Two. Somebody once said, "Preach the Good News every day, if necessary, use words!" Our actions ought to be enough to demonstrate what we believe and why we believe it. Words are good but actions are better!
They will take risks to protect the Jewish people
To that extent, Righteous Gentiles will not hesitate to, again, help the Jewish people when the time comes, and the time is coming! There is no doubt in my mind that even though the Bible is replete with God's promises for Israel and the Jewish people, things are going to get worse before they get better. Righteous Gentiles took great risks eighty years ago to hide, protect and save Jews. Today's Righteous Gentiles are ready to do the same, but most Jewish people are not aware of it. Jewish people today need to be made aware that there are Gentiles who are their friends. Not every Gentile is an antisemite! Yet it is becoming increasingly difficult for Jewish people today to know where to turn for help and who to trust.
If you are a Gentile today, ask yourself these few questions, and if your answer is YES, then you might be a Righteous Gentile awaiting his/her call to reach out to God's chosen people.
• Do you believe the Bible's promises for Israel and the Jewish people will be fulfilled literally?
• Do you believe the Jewish people are at risk again?
• Are you willing to take risks to help your Jewish friends?
While I do not believe that Bible believers will go through the horrors of the Great Tribulation, in Matthew 25:40, we see how serious Yeshua is about the way Gentiles should treat Jews. At the end of that seven-year period of perilous times, Gentiles who would have survived the Tribulation and helped Jews in the process, will be recognized by King Yeshua, "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" These Righteous Gentiles will not earn their entrance into God's Kingdom because they protected Jews during the Tribulation, but their actions will simply demonstrate that they had become believers during that time, leading them to make the right choices.
The time to be a Righteous Gentile is today. Unbeknownst to them, the Jewish people are counting on you!
Filed Under: Antisemitism, Bible, Christianity, End-Times, Eschatology, Featured-Post-1, God, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish, Yeshua, Zionism Tagged With: Righteous Gentiles, Yad Vashem


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HomeFeatureBTS 'BRING THE SOUL: THE MOVIE' To Be Screened in Singapore From August 7 Onwards
BTS 'BRING THE SOUL: THE MOVIE' To Be Screened in Singapore From August 7 Onwards
BTS will be hitting the silver screen with the release of their next film this August! The latest film 'BRING THE SOUL: THE MOVIE' is set for global release on August 7, which will feature the band celebrating the end of their LOVE YOURSELF World Tour in Europe after having held 24 concerts in 12 cities.
Through the film, audience will find themselves up close and personal with the stars through spectacular concert performances from the tour, as well as stories shared in the after party that has never been heard before.
This highly anticipated film marks the third film from BTS and worldwide screening will be available from August 7 onwards. For the Singapore leg, the movie will be screened in selected Golden Village cinemas and advance ticket sales will commence via GV on July 3 at 10pm.
Title: BRING THE SOUL: THE MOVIE
Cast: RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jung Kook
Directed by: Park Jun Soo
Singapore Release Date: 7 August 2019
Selected GV Cinemas: GV Funan, GV Suntec City, GV Plaza, GV Paya Lebar, GV Tampines, GV Jurong Point, GV Bishan, GV Yishun, GV VivoCity (GVmax Dolby Atmos)
Ticket Pricing: S$18 (GV Movie Club member) | $20 (Public)
(For GV VivoCity – GVmax Dolby Atmos: $22 for GVMC | $24 for Public)
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BRING THE SOUL: THE MOVIE
[K-Movie] Ryu Jun Yeol Dives into the Stock Exchange Market with Box Office Hit, "MONEY"
[COVER] BTS Makes A Triumphant Return to Singapore For Their "Love Yourself" World Tour

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Professional Graphics Controller — відеокарта для IBM XT
 Principal Galaxies Catalogue — каталог галактик
 PGC — ген, який кодує шлунковий фермент гастриксин

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Oh boy, what have I done now?
"Roymond.com presents an odd version of ABBA's Eurovision winner Waterloo features a mini Abba sample, cats and a disturbed vocal. Think The Colourblind James Experience meets Vincent Price. In a washing machine."


We invite all companies operating in the geodesy field or related ones, to sponsor the GeoPreVi 2018 International Symposium and choose to participate to the Exhibition as PLATINUM, GOLD, SILVER or BRONZE sponsor.
Bronze sponsor with amounts between 220 € / 1000 lei and 880 € / 4000 lei. The sponsorship includes an advertisement on the symposium sponsors' page and a person exempted from the participation fee.
The details regarding the complete service package offered by the beneficiary are found in the Sponsorship Contract.
Please contact organizing committee for more details.


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Taurus PT92
Semi-Automatic Service Pistol
Expiring patents on the Beretta 92 allowed Brazilian gunmaker Taurus to reproduce the line as its PT92 series.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Edited: 12/20/2017
Manufacturer(s): Taurus International - Brazil
Roles: Close Quarters Battle (CQB)/Personal Security; Sidearm;
Action: Recoil-Operated; Semi-Automatic
Caliber(s): 9x19mm Parabellum; .40 S&W
Sights: Iron Front and Rear.
Overall Length: 216 mm (8.50 in)
Barrel Length: 127 mm (5.00 in)
Weight (Unloaded): 2.12 lb (0.96 kg)
Effective Range: 164 ft (50 m; 55 yd)
Operators: Argentina; Brazil; Dominican Republic; Indonesia; Libya; Paraguay
The Taurus PT92 is essentially the classic Italian Beretta Model 92 (M92) semi-automatic pistol produced in Sao Paulo, Brazil on the original Beretta M92 machinery. After the Brazilian military accepted the M92 as its standard sidearm, Beretta moved to set up a production facility in the capital city of Sao Paulo, Brazil for local manufacture of the weapon. In 1980, after the commitment had ended, the facility was sold off to gun-maker Taurus and the company began production of the firearm under its own brand label as the related patents had expired. In 1983, the Taurus "PT92" was introduced and eventually adopted as the standard-issue sidearm of the Brazilian Army (as the "M975") and its national police force. Other operators of this reliable weapon include Argentina (police), Dominican Republic, Israel (police), Libya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Paraguay and Peru (Army and special forces.
In both form and function, the PT92 is the Beretta M92 - it even features the cut-out section of slide exposing the barrel, a telltale marker of the M92 series. The primary chambering is the 9x19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge and this is fed through a 17-round detachable box magazine inserted into the grip base. All controls are neatly arranged along the slide and within easy reach of the operating hand. Overall weight is 960 grams with a length of 216mm and a barrel assembly measuring 127mm long.
Beyond the standard 9x19mm chambering are models in 7.65mm (.32 Auto) and .40 Smith & Wesson to satisfy market need. The PT57 is in 7.65mm and the PT100 and PT101 are .40 S&W forms. There are various 9mm Parabellum marks ranging from the PT92 and PT92AF to the PT917C and PT917CS.
Throughout the production run of the PT92, several modifications to the base design have been made including adoption of accessory rails, changes to the trigger guard and revised magazines.
• PT92 - Base Series Designation
• PT92AF - Allow frame; 4.75" barrel length
• PT92SS - Stainless steel frame
• PT92C - Compact variant; 4" barrel length
• PT99 - Blued/satin nickel finish
• PT99AF - Blue/satin nickel finish; 4.75" barrel length.
• PT917C - Compact variant; 4" barrel length
• PT017CS - Compact variant; 4" barrel length
• PT100 - Chambering in .40 S&W; 3-dot sight
• PT101 - Chambering in .40S&W; adjustable rear sight
• PT57 - Chambering in 7.65mm
• PT58 - Chambering in .380 ACP
Gun Anatomy
Modern Armies
Top Influential Small Arms


text:
Q: Solution for Data issue I have an table as below.
AppKey                            Customer

1009                                    Stell

1009                                     -

Following is the script.
Select AppKey , Customer
FROM table

I want to exclude records that has null on Customer which I can easily achieve it by using where customer is notnull;
But I might have an record like below which I want to include even though the customer field is Null. How can I achieve this on the script?
AppKey                            Customer

1000                                      -

Thanks very much!!

A: You can do this with some aggregation.
SELECT AppKey, Max(Customer) FROM table GROUP BY Appkey;

Note this will turn funky if you have more than one non-null Customer record for a distinct Appkey.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


SOS Children's Villages has been present in India since 1963. In 1971 we started working with Tibetan Children's Villages, an organisation which supports people from Tibet, autonomous region of China who have settled in northern India. Tibetan Children's Villages is an independent charity which is partly supported through SOS Children's Villages' sponsorships.
Good friends at the village (photo: C. Ashleigh).
Tibetan Children's Village Dharamsala is situated about eight kilometres outside the north Indian town of Dharamsala, at the foot of the Dhauladhar Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas.
Dharamsala plays a central role for Tibetans. It is well known for being the home of the Dalai Lama since 1959. Likewise, the area is home to the largest number of Tibetans in India - of the estimated 140,000 Tibetans living outside of Tibet, autonomous region of China, over 10,400 people live in Dharamsala. Many of these people have been born and raised in India. Children from Tibet, autonomous region of China are often sent here by their parents.
Many tourists, both from other areas of India and from abroad, come to Dharamsala in order to visit the religious temples and monasteries, and experience the Tibetan way of life. The majority of the local people are involved in the tourist industry by running restaurants, hotels and shops selling handicrafts.
Due to the high levels of unemployment, there is a growing number of families who struggle to make a living. Those who are most likely to be poor are the old and infirm and families with children.
In 1971, what was initially a make-shift children's home was turned into the first Tibetan Children's Village community in Dharamsala. The programmes run in the region have expanded in the last four decades in order to meet the increasing needs of the Tibetan population arriving in India. All the children in families have lost parental care; while some children have no living parents, others have parents who live in Tibet, autonomous region of China as well as in other locations throughout India, or have moved abroad.
Boys enjoying a game of football together (photo: C. Ashleigh).
Tibetan Children's Villages provides day-care, primary and secondary education, as well as medical treatment in Dharamsala.
Due to the large numbers of children who have lost parental care, homes consist of up to 30 children who are cared for by a Tibetan mother or couple. In order to allow carers to spend more time looking after the needs of the children, all the meals are prepared at a central kitchen and then distributed to the homes. In addition, there are also separate homes where babies are looked after.
Young adults join the youth programme while they start vocational training or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified professionals they are guided through this new stage of their lives.
The medical centre provides health care to those living in the village and it is also open to the local community. There is a large vocational training centre which offers courses in arts and handicrafts, so that people can generate an income.
Young children go to kindergarten and then to the school which offers primary and secondary schooling for over 1,900 children.


text:
Der Strahlweg (oder Laufweg) bezeichnet in der Seismik und in der Seismologie den Weg, den eine seismische Welle von ihrem Entstehungsort bis zum Ort ihrer Registrierung durch ein Seismometer durch die Erde zurücklegt. Er ist die senkrechte Trajektorie der Wellenfront.

Erdbeben- oder künstlich angeregte seismische Wellen breiten sich vom Quellort in alle Richtungen aus (siehe Abbildung rechts). Ist die Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit in alle Richtungen gleich, erfolgt die Ausbreitung kugelförmig. In großer Entfernung vom Quellort erscheint die Wellenfront auf Grund des großen Radius als eben, d. h. die Krümmung ist vernachlässigbar gering geworden. Hier wird von einer ebenen Welle gesprochen. Der Strahlweg ist wiederum senkrecht zur Wellenfront.

Auf der Grundlage der Fermatschen Prinzips verläuft die Energieausbreitung einer seismischen Welle durch den Erdkörper auf jenem Weg, für den die benötigte Zeit zwischen dem Quellort und dem Ort der Detektierung minimal wird. Verändert sich also die Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit des Mediums (z. B. durch Materialveränderung, Porenvolumen, Porenfüllung, Druckänderung u. v. m), so ändert sich auch der Strahlweg. Da die Geschwindigkeit im Erdinneren in der Regel kontinuierlich (graduell) mit der Tiefe zunimmt, sind die Strahlwege von Erdbebenwellen meist bogenförmig (Abbildung, links).

Die Verwendung des Strahlweges erlaubt eine einfache geometrische Betrachtung der Erdbebenwellen bei der seismischen Untersuchung des Erdinneren, die in den meisten Fällen eine hinreichende Genauigkeit erbringt. Komplexe Untergrundstrukturen jedoch können zu einer fehlerhaften Auswertung führen, wenn Wellenenergie von Strukturen außerhalb der Quell-Empfänger-Ebene gestreut oder reflektiert wird. In solchen Fällen ist eine dreidimensionale Betrachtung des Untergrundes unerlässlich.

Seismik
Erdbeben


text:
Previous (Cave painting)
Next (Cavy)
Caviar is the processed, salted roe of certain species of fish, most notably the sturgeon whose eggs have the appearance of shiny black pearls. It is commercially marketed worldwide as a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread, often as an hors d'œuvre. Caviar is synonymous with luxury—historically the favorite of the Russian elite, and today highly priced due to the short supply of sturgeon.
1 Preparation
4 Cultural significance
5 Varieties
5.1 Beluga
5.2 Ossetra
5.3 Sevruga
6 Alternatives and imitation
Once a popular food, particularly in the United States, high consumption of caviar led to over-fishing and the near extinction of sturgeon. Other environmental changes, some natural and others like pollution due to human negligence, led to reduction of sturgeon populations in the Caspian Sea. Limits have been imposed on sturgeon fishing. The self-centered desire for luxury, however, continued to sustain a black market and poaching. Alternatives, including aquaculture of sturgeon as well as the use of different fish such as salmon, paddlefish, lumpfish, and whitefish for cheaper alternatives, have developed in an effort to protect the sturgeon and still allow the delicacy of caviar to be enjoyed.
Caviar is the roe or eggs taken from freshly caught fish, sturgeon for true caviar. One of the oldest families of bony fish in existence, sturgeon are native to rivers, lakes, and coastlines of Eurasia and North America, in particular the Caspian Sea which borders two major caviar-producing countries Russia and Iran. They are distinctive for their elongated bodies, lack of scales, and occasional great size: Sturgeons ranging from 7–12 feet (2-3½ m) in length are common, and some species grow up to 18 feet (5.5 m). Most sturgeons are anadromous, spawning upstream in freshwater and feeding in saltwater river deltas and estuaries. Because they are slow-growing and mature very late in life, they are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and to other threats, including pollution and habitat fragmentation.
Sturgeon eggs have the appearance of shining black pearls. The eggs are removed, killing the fish. They are then passed through a fine mesh in order to remove fatty tissue and membrane. Classification of the eggs is based on size and color. The highest quality caviar are from beluga, ossetra, and sevruga sturgeon.
The eggs are lightly salted to bring out the flavor and also to preserve them. The Russian word malossol ("little salt") is used to show that the caviar is minimally salted; typically, caviar is four to eight percent salt. Less salt means the roe was of higher quality, and thus more expensive. However, it is also more perishable.
Caviar may also be made from other fish, such as salmon, lumpfish, and whitefish. The salmon roe are red, while the roe of lumpfish may be died black to resemble sturgeon eggs.
The word caviar is ultimately derived from Persian khavyar, from khaya meaning "egg." The word first appeared in English print in 1591.[1]
A record of caviar, eggs of the sturgeon brought into banquets with great fanfare, dates back to the fourth century B.C.E. Greek scholar Aristotle. The preparation of caviar by salting the roe of sturgeon is attributed to the Persians. However, it was Russian tsars who brought caviar into the world of luxury.
Caviar was known in Russia in the twelfth century, with the fishermen of the Volga River recognizing the krasnaya ryba ("beautiful fish") as the most valuable.[2] In the sixteenth century it was delivered to the European royal court as well as the Russian imperial table.[3]
By the nineteenth century, Russian caviar was a luxury item throughout the international market. Iran, on the southern shores of the Caspian, began its own caviar industry also producing the delicacy at the highest standard. An entrepreneurial immigrant, Henry Schacht, founded the American caviar business in 1873, using Delaware River sturgeon.[2] The United States became the largest caviar producer outside Russia, with much of it exported to Europe. Caviar became so popular in the U.S. at that time that it was served free in saloons, its salty taste encouraging customers to drink more, and more refined establishments offered caviar as an interesting starter to elegant meals. By 1910, the sturgeon was nearly extinct in American waters due to over-fishing, and American production was halted; caviar once again becoming a luxury item.
Throughout the twentieth century the Caspian Sea was the major supplier of sturgeon roe for caviar. However, the Caspian also suffered pollution, poaching, and over-fishing, all reducing sturgeon populations. In 1998, the sturgeon came under the protection of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). Regulation of international trade in sturgeons was initiated as "an important step to ensure long-term conservation and better management of the species—and essential to preserve the resource for future generations."[4] However, poaching and black market caviar continued to flourish along the Caspian.[2] As a result of further CITES review in 2001, recommendations were made to severely limit, including complete bans, on wild fish harvesting in an effort to end the unsustainable exploitation of sturgeon.
In September 2005, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service banned the import of Caspian Sea Beluga caviar, to protect the endangered Beluga sturgeon; a month later, the ban included Beluga caviar from the entire Black Sea basin. In January 2006, CITES announced they were "unable to approve the [caviar] export quotas" for 2006 from wild fish stocks.[5]
Limits and reductions in the wild fish harvesting resulted in significant increases in caviar prices, leading to efforts to find alternatives to Caspian sturgeon. Aquaculture of sturgeon has been found to be an economically viable means of sustainable, commercial caviar production, especially in Spain, France, Uruguay, and California.[6]
Tartare huitre caviar du grand chef cuisinier Hélène Darroze de Paris.
Russian blinis served with sour cream, onion, caviar, pickled cucumbers, sweet champagne and vodka.
The best caviar is served unadorned, and eaten with a non-metal spoon. Traditional caviar spoons are made from mother of pearl, although bone and tortoiseshell material are also used. It is considered impolite to eat more than one or two spoonfuls of caviar, even when ample quantities are available. Caviar may be tasted by placing a little on the back of the hand.
Caviar is often served as an hors d'oeuvre, in a variety of canapé forms. Toast points or a very small, thinly sliced baguette may be used. Potatoes and eggs also make good caviar vehicles. The classic Russian combination is caviar and blini, served with sour cream.
Cultural significance
Given its high price in the West, caviar is synonymous with luxury and wealth. In Russia and other Eastern European cultures, though still expensive, caviar is commonly served at holiday feasts, weddings, and other festive occasions. In Hong Kong and Japan, caviar may be found on sushi and is often very affordable.
Six different types of caviar
Salmon caviar on bread
The Caspian Sea, bordered by Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and Kazakhstan, is considered the source of the finest caviar in the world. The golden Sterlet caviar, the rarest of caviars, was the favorite of tsars, shahs, and emperors. Today, the highest prices are paid for the Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga sturgeon varieties of caviar.
Due to cost and problems with the dwindling supply of sturgeon, alternative forms of "caviar" are commonly prepared from salmon, producing red caviar, lumpfish, and whitefish.
Beluga caviar, the most expensive of caviar, (branded as Almas caviar in Iran meaning "Diamond caviar") consists of the roe (or eggs) of the Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) found primarily in the Caspian Sea. It can also be found in the Black Sea basin and occasionally in the Adriatic Sea. This fish has been classified an endangered species, causing the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to ban the importation of Beluga caviar which originated in the Black Sea basin. In January 2007, this ban was partly lifted, allowing the sale of 96 tons of caviar, 15 percent below the official 2005 level.[7]
The Beluga sturgeon can take up to 20 years to reach maturity, and can reach a size of 2000 pounds. The eggs themselves are the largest of the commonly used roes, and range in color from light blue to black, with the lighter colors coming from older fish, and being the highest valued. Any additions by producers diminish the value of the roe, and the caviar usually reaches the market without any additions or processing.
Beluga caviar is usually handled with a spoon made of mother of pearl, bone, or other non-metallic material, as metal utensils tend to impart an unwelcome metallic taste to the delicate and expensive roe. Unlike less expensive varieties, Beluga caviar is usually served by itself on toast whereas other caviars can be served in a variety of ways, including hollowed and cooked new potatoes, on blini, or garnished with sour cream, crème fraîche, minced onion, or minced hard boiled egg whites. The higher grade caviars, including Beluga, usually need very little embellishment.
Ossetra
Ossetra caviar, with salmon creme fraiche and potato shallot croquette.
Ossetra (Osetra or Asetra) caviar comes from the Ossetra sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), weighing 50-400 pounds and living up to 50 years. Ossetra caviar ranges in color from warm brown to green-gray, dark blue to jet black, or even white. Ossetra caviar has a nutty flavour and is prized as an elite caviar.
It is of firmer texture than the more delicate Beluga caviar. Golden Ossetra is a rare form of Ossetra caviar. It is golden-yellow in color and has a very rich flavor.
Ossetra caviar is traditionally served on buttered toast points with fresh, minced onion. It also is served on blini, and sometimes cream cheese or sour cream accompanies the caviar on crackers.
Sevruga
Sevruga is one of the highest priced varieties of caviar, eclipsed in cost only by the Beluga and Ossetra varieties. It is harvested from the Sevruga sturgeon native to the Caspian Sea, and may be distinguished from its more expensive cousins by the size of the eggs, which are generally smaller.
Alternatives and imitation
Typical Swedish sandwich with hard-boiled eggs and cod roe caviar from a tube
Dwindling fishing yields of sturgeon consequent to overfishing and pollution have resulted in the creation of a variety of less costly caviar-quality roe alternatives. "Hackleback" caviar from the Shovelnose sturgeon, the smallest species of freshwater sturgeon native to the United States, is a popular, inexpensive product of this industry. American Paddlefish, a sturgeon cousin, one of the largest freshwater fish in North America, is also farmed as an alternative source of roe for caviar. Whitefish and the North Atlantic salmon are also popular sources of caviar roe.
A sturgeon caviar imitation is Danish black colored lumpsucker caviar, which is sold throughout Europe in small glass jars. It can also be found red colored. A more expensive caviar alternative, sold in Sweden and Finland, is the caviar from the vendace whitefish. In Finland, caviars from the burbot and the common whitefish are also sold. Also in Scandinavia a significantly cheaper version of caviar, made from mashed and smoked cod roe, is sold in tubes as a sandwich filling. When sold outside Scandinavia, this product is referred to as "creamed smoked roe."
Algae-based imitation caviar is produced and sold as a vegetarian caviar alternative.
↑ Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, Caviar history About.com, 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Darra Goldstein, Caviar Dreams Saveur 24. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
↑ History Russian Caviar, 2000. Retrieved September 2, 2008.
↑ Sturgeons and CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Retrieved September 12, 2008.
↑ International caviar trade banned BBC News, Tuesday, 3 January 2006. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
↑ Jim Morris, Dinosaur in the Delta: Farmers tame prehistoric fish to make food fit for a king California Farm Bureau Federation, August 3, 2005. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
↑ UN lifts embargo on caviar trade BBC News, Tuesday, 2 January 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
Boeckmann, Susie, and Natalie Rebeiz-Nielsen. Caviar: The Definitive Guide. Wiley, 2000. ISBN 978-0470392997
Carey, Richard Adams. The Philosopher Fish: Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of Desire. Counterpoint, 2006. ISBN 978-1582433523
Goldstein, Darra. Caviar Dreams Saveur 24. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
Inman, Mason. Once Endangered Sturgeon Rebounding in Hudson River, Study Says National Geographic News, February 7, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
Javadi, Masoud, and Nasser Sagheb. Caspian caviar in peril Azerbaijan International 2.3 (Autumn 1994): 50-52. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
Le Goff, Olivier. The World of Caviar. Chartwell Books, 1999. ISBN 978-0785810841
Morris, Jim. Dinosaur in the Delta: Farmers tame prehistoric fish to make food fit for a king California Farm Bureau Federation, August 3, 2005. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
Saffron, Inga. Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Delicacy. New York, NY: Broadway Books, 2003. ISBN 978-0767906241
Swengel, Andrea Lynn. Discovering Caviar. Campbell & Lewis Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-0977148974
All links retrieved January 19, 2017.
Caviar Cooking For Engineers
American Caviar - Think American Caviar!
Caviar Emptor
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
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Beluga_caviar history
Ossetra history
Sevruga history
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Credited


Abductive reasoning, which emerges in order to resolve doubt, is a special form of creative reasoning that is often ignored and/or dismissed in the classroom.
Who doesn't want an A in school? School based learning is motivated by the fear of punishment for not learning (e.g. low grades, guilt, social ridicule). Creativity may seem counter-productive to this rather extrinsically motivated kind of learning. If someone wants to get a good grade from a teacher, why risk the grade by deviating from what is expected?
Indeed, in their 2013 paper in Roeper Review, James C. Kaufman and Ronald A. Beghetto acknowledge the importance of teaching kids when and when not to be creative. However, Ronald A. Beghetto and James B. Schreiber argue in their recent book chapter in Creativity and Giftedness that within the process of personally meaningful learning, creative reasoning is crucial to happen at some point. According to the authors, this creative learning process starts with students attempting to make sense of a new experience – discrepant to what they already know. Students who encounter such a discrepant event move into a state of genuine doubt. If this doubt is not ignored by the student, it naturally wants to be resolved and eliminated. In line with the latter, Ronald A. Beghetto and James B. Schreiber argue that doubt may serve as a motivational trigger for creativity in support of learning. They argue that this creative process represents a special form of reasoning called abductive reasoning, which in turn may result in creative resolution of doubt and the development of a new and personally meaningful understanding.
Omen: A portion of the problem may point to a possible way to solve the problem. Hunch: A more implicit form of the omen. Both are rather tentative forms of reasoning.
Symptom: A feature of the problem may resemble to a more general case. This form of reasoning is based on one's prior experiences.
Metaphor/Analogy: A feature of the problem which is manipulated into resemblance to create a new way of thinking.
Clue: A feature of the problem may resemble to a past state of affairs.
Diagnosis/Scenario: The combination of individual observations into a more coherent scenario by developing possible rules or strategies in order to solve a problem.
Explanation: The development of a general rule to solve a problem.
These forms of abductive reasoning and with them creative processes in learning are often ignored and dismissed by practitioners in schools. Enduring predetermined paths of learning prevent an abductive process and opportunities for cultivating creativity in learning are missed. As Rex Jung has argued in his paper in Frontiers of Psychology, there are different types of problem solving – but abductive reasoning is crucial in the process of solving problems that have never been encountered before. Therefore, let's think about how and when moments for doubt should be allowed to blossom and creative processes in students can be fostered.
Why Is It Harder Than Ever To Get Into Ivy League Schools?
Luise Schlindwein is a German student at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Currently, she is completing her Master's degree in Behavioral Science on the inspiration to create and works as a web editor for bitescience.com. Among other things, she investigated the impact of implementing Constructive Journalism in news for children and worked as an intern at the Imagination Institute, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She is passionately curious about creativity, inspiration and happiness within the field of Positive Psychology.


text:
I decided to try a little experiment...
I think you know what's coming. critic75 said I should write Justin winning the Lotto and wait for the money to roll in. I decided to go a few steps further...
So here's a little cracky standalone I call...
Justin's Very, Very, Very Excellent Day
Pairing: Brian/Justin; Justin/The Fellowship; Justin/Spike's coat
Rating: R I guess.
Warning: for silliness
Summary: Justin has a very very good day. YOU MUST READ THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH AND KNOW ABOUT MY KARMA EXPERIMENT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own the boys, the fellowship, Spike's coat, etc, etc...
"Oh God Brian. I think that was the best sex we've ever had!" Justin exclaimed after he came for the second time.
"I have to admit you're right," Brian said, trying to get up off the bed. "I'm glad we filmed it so you could enjoy watching it over and over and over again."
Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it," Justin said as he got up off the bed.
"Um, Sunshine, you might wanna put a robe on before you get that.""
This, coming from the man who opened the door for the Police Chief and their employer wearing nothing but a dishtowel." Justin put his sweats on and raced to the door, sliding it open all the way.
"I have a delivery for one Justin Taylor."
"That's me!"
"Sign here sir," the man droned as he handed Justin the tablet.
"What is it?" Justin said excitedly.
"I only deliver the packages sir. I don't look inside them." The man handed a package to Justin and left.
Justin opened the box and pulled out a long black coat.
"What is it?" Brian asked, wrinkling his nose, as he walked into the living area.
"Oh my God Brian!!!! Do you know what this is?" Justin shrieked as he held up the long coat.
"A ratty leather coat that's a few years out of date?" Brian smirked.
"It's Spike's coat! I mean...it's James Marster's coat! The one he wore when he was filming Buffy!" Justin inhaled the scent of the lining and sighed. "And it smells like him too." Justin quickly put the coat on. "It fits Brian! It fits."
"How do you know that's his coat?"
"Because it says right here. 'This was the coat worn by James Marsters during the sixth season of Buffy. Enjoy.'"
"And how do you know that's his smell? This seems like a hoax to me."
"I don't know Brian. I had a feeling this would be my day and I think this coat was his."
"Justin," Brian sighed as he turned the television set on.
"And now for the winning lotto numbers," the television set blared out, "after this announcement."
"Oh, turn this up Brian. I bought a ticket yesterday," Justin squealed.
"Why the fuck did you do that?" Brian sighed again. "That's such a waste of money."
"It was a whopping one dollar Brian! One dollar could win you two-hundred-eight million!"
"One dollar a starving college student can't really afford," Brian smiled.
"I'm hardly starving Brian," Justin retorted in his 'duh' voice.
"That's for sure," Brian said as he pinched the side of Justin's waist and then turned it into a tickling match.
"Stop! Stop! The numbers are on," Justin said and watched as the six numbers were displayed on the television set.
"Oh my God! Brian! Brian! I won!!! I won!!!!" Justin shrieked as he started jumping up and down in the living area.
"No shit," Brian said with a furrowed brow.
Before Justin could react again, there was a knock at the door. When Brian answered, he saw a basket lying on the ground with a note saying FOR JUSTIN.
"This better not be a fucking baby," Brian muttered.
Brian opened the basket and saw a large chocolate molten dessert with a huge scoop of cold ice cream. The second note said EAT ME.
"Hey Alice. Someone wants you to eat this cake!"
"Oh my God! That's my most favorite dessert in the world!!!" Justin grabbed a spoon off the counter and went to start eating the huge concoction.
"Hold on a minute there. You don't know where this came from."
"I don't care." Justin then dug his spoon into the tempting treat and gobbled the thing down right in front of Brian.
"Do you know how many calories you just consumed with that thing?"
Justin rubbed his belly. He walked into the bathroom and got on the scale.
Justin took one look at the scale and screamed.
Brian came running into the bathroom. "I told you. You had to get on the scale, didn't you?"
"Brian! It's not what you think! I know what I weighed this morning. I just got on the scale after eating that thing and I lost weight. And look! It cleared up my skin!!!!"
"Well fuck that. Was there another piece of cake in there?"
Just then, another knock sounded at the door.
"Hold on, I'm answering the door," Brian said as he pushed past Justin.
Brian reached for the handle and pulled the door open.
Standing on the threshold was the Fellowship.
Brian raised one eyebrow. "Can I help you?"
"We have followed our quest and come seeking the Sunshine," Aragorn said regally.
"Right this way," Brian said. "Oh Sunshine!" Brian called out in a sing-song voice. "There are some people here to see you." Brian looked back at the people standing in his loft. "You're gonna love this."
Justin walked in and stopped as he took in the scene in front of him.
"Um...hi," Justin waved nervously.
Aragorn ran over to Justin. "I seek to plant my sword in your sheath."
Brian leaned in to whisper in Justin's ear. "That means he wants to fuck you."
Boromir ran up at this moment. "And I will lend my sword alongside my fellow warrior."
"Oooh," Brian said as he licked his lips. "Some DP action..."
"And I wish you to stroke my bow," Legolas said. "And after our coupling is past, Aragorn, Boromir and myself shall couple with each other for hours for your amusement."
"And what will the rest of the Fellowship be doing while we're in a foursome?" Justin asked in a daze.
"Waiting their turn, of course," Aragorn said as he shook his head.
"Please, tell me, Gandalf and the dwraf aren't here. Or oh God! Frodo," Justin exclaimed worriedly.
"Nay," Boromir said, "they could not come, but Eomer, Haldir and Faramir have decided to come in their place. Does that meet with your approval?"
Justin looked over to where the three men stood and waved.
"Oh fuck yeah! So what are we waiting for?" Justin said and made for the bedroom.
Just then, another knock came at the door.
"Brian? Could you get that?" Justin said. "I'm gonna be a little busy."
"Yeah, sure, it'll probably be the cast from Deliverance for me," Brian muttered as he opened the door to a man standing in a cheap suit.
"Mr. Justin Taylor? Are you Mr. Justin Taylor?"
Brian looked back at the bedroom where he could hear moans of pleasure. "No, but I wish I was right now. What can I do for you?"
Brian tried to cough to cover up the loud noises coming from the bedroom.
"I'm with the IRS."
Brian furrowed his brows. "Is Justin in trouble?"
"No," the man laughed.
Something he obviously didn't do very often. "We've decided that Mr. Taylor shouldn't have to pay taxes."
"Come again?" Brian said. Brian looked back when he heard someone scream. "It looks like someone has too."
"Mr. Taylor does not have to pay taxes...at all...ever again."
"That's what I thought you said. Well, I'll pass that message onto him," Brian said nodding.
Brian coughed again to cover up an 'Oh my God' that came from the bedroom.
"Thank you." Brian watched as the man left. As he turned to walk into the bedroom, he caught a wink Eomer threw his way.
Brian walked into the bedroom to be met with a very erotic scene. Justin was splayed out on their bed, a look of bliss evident on his face, while Aragorn and Boromir were conducting their own quest in Legolas' ass.
"Oh God Brian," Justin moaned.
He then moaned again when he realized he had woken up. Justin shot up from bed and wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Brian! Brian!"
Brian woke with a start. "What? What is it?" Brian ran his hand through his hair. "Another nightmare?"
"No Brian. It was like the best dream in the whole world. Oh God! I won the Lotto...and Spike's coat...and my favorite dessert and I wasn't gaining weight...and the IRS guy and oh God!!! The Fellowship. The Fellowship was here," Justin said excitedly as he bounced on the bed.
"What were they doing here?" Brian asked. "Wait," Brian said and scratched his head, "what Fellowship?"
"You know, from the Lord of the Rings movie."
"Oh...silly me. What were they doing here?"
"They were having sex with me," Justin said dreamily.
"Oh," Brian said. "Oh! Ewww...you didn't have it with that Frodo freak, did you?"
"Brian," Justin sighed, "I said it was a dream, not a nightmare!!!"
-Fin-
Okay, I love fb. I will get back to it. I must run off to my son's curriculum night now. God how I hate those!!!", "url": "https://slave-o-spike.livejournal.com/57760.html", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://l-stat.livejournal.net/img/sign.png" }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maria", "image": "https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/124723085/4356701" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Journal slave_o_spike", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://slave-o-spike.livejournal.com", "contentUrl": "https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/124723085/4356701" } } }
Mood: giggly
Brian/Justin Standalone "Justin's Very, Very, Very Excellent Day"
So remember how I said Karma kicked me in the ass the other day by giving me cramps after I wrote Justin getting cramps in Justin's Baby?
Okay, I love fb. I will get back to it. I must run off to my son's curriculum night now. God how I hate those!!!
Tags: bj standalone


I leave Miragoene today, and travel to Petit Goave, Haiti. I now believe the interesting aspect of Haiti is its Seaports. The country has more coastal communities than any country I have ever visited.
Plenty of beaches, but a beach needs people to be fun. I have not observed beach-going cultures here in Haiti. NGO's are like nerds with a mission, United Nations military are compose of men from Sra Lanka, and Uruguay, I am sure there are more countries, but I assure you, these cultures are not going to the beach for fun, yes to drink, but not to lie around in the sun.
I am positive I could find a naked black Haitian girl at the beach. To find one girl in a bikini would be more difficult. I found a few naked ones bathing in the river; I was not brave enough to take the photos. A person needs to enjoy the culture of seaports here in Haiti, which is great for me, terrible for tourism.
Haiti is a friendly country; the people are happy, say hello and want to mingle. However, there is no language of conversation, Creole is awkward, and the education level is low, if not the lowest.
What to do in Haiti? This place is perfect for an American that wanted to make a cheap trip to Africa without going to Africa. This is not Africa, the whole tribal culture is missing, this is an ex-slave community, pretty much like all the other Caribbean Islands. Trinidad and Tobago are about the same as Haiti, just more violent.
Hmm, I have to admit, I just realized Haiti feels safer than Trinidad and Tobago, and I for sure think it is safer than Belize City.
I have been to Africa five times, I do not need to come to Haiti to see a watered down version, but truly a great cultural experience for an American.
My big problem is still Port-au-Prince, I need to find a 500 Gourde per night Hotel, the guidebook starts out at 1400, so way over budget for a Backpacker. I am studying the map; I believe it is possible; I am still in ready-to-retreat travel mode. If there is a problem, I will retreat to the prior Hotel. I am only going 15 miles today, this is interesting, this is a small country.
I can be anywhere in the country in one good day of travel, all cities are possible, travel is not difficult, the price of Hotels is the problem.


I have been reading the tips in your certification series and I am interested in being a trainer. I have heard about the Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) program and would like to know more to see if this can help me as a trainer.
The following provides some useful information about this program.
What is the Microsoft Certified Educator certification (MCE)?
The main goal is to prepare your students to deal with the 21th century.
I am a DBA. Is this certification useful for me?
If you want to be a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) in Database, Big Data or other technologies, it can complement your training skills and knowledge. It will improve your teaching skills in your Microsoft classes and orient the objective goals to the UNESCO ICT goals.
If you are a DBA and you are not interested in being a MCT, this certification is not for you.
This certification is not mandatory as a MCT.
Microsoft IT Academies and Microsoft Learning Partners offer this certification for trainers to improve teaching skills. Having this international certification can improve your salary, however it is not mandatory to teach Microsoft courses.
How much does this exam cost?
It depends on the country. In the USA it costs $127, in Argentina it costs $62 and in Spain it costs €127.
Is it this a one time exam or does it require renewal each year?
This exam is a one time exam. It does not require a renewal.
You can take it at any Certiport center and Person VUE. It is available in most countries.
What is the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers?
The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are now taught by the educators. UNESCO is promoting the abilities to teach in the information era. This is a new education focus to be problem-solving. Students will be able to generate knowledge, creativity, to influence society in problems that concern them by generating peaceful solutions.
How does the UNESCO ICT apply to a Microsoft IT Class?
The UNESCO ICT can be used in any class, not only Microsoft classes, but any type of class. Your classes in an IT class should be oriented to solve real life problems. The MCE will give you valuable pedagogic tips and education policies.
There are UNESCO ICT goals that are implicit in a Microsoft course like the use of technology and the goals to solve real life problems.
What is the difference between a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) and a Microsoft Certified Educator?
A MCT is a professional that can teach Microsoft technologies.
A MCE is oriented to handle the technology skills to accomplish society goals using the technology. The MCE is designed to provide a richer learning experience. Basically, you can improve your teaching skills.
The MCT is required to teach Microsoft courses, however MCE is not required.
MCT is oriented to instructors to teach Microsoft courses. MCE can be oriented to MCT trainers, but it can also apply to teachers of any subject.
What is the Competency Framework for Teachers (CFT)?
This Frameworks is about teaching methods to evolve knowledge and incentives to acquire better professionals for today's society.
What is the exam for MCE?
This exam is available in English only.
Can you show links for the exam?


Saatchi Art offers an unparalleled selection of over 152 original artworks from artists from all over the world, including paintings, photography, sculpture, drawings, collage, and limited editions.
Elegy of the Last Republic 029: Das Mauer, 2018.
Elegy of the Last Republic 030: I Learned the Truth at Seventeen, 2018.


text:
Festo expands despite a shrinking market
Festo, the German pneumatic automation supplier, appears to be bucking the industry gloom. At a time when the global pneumatics market is contracting by about 5% a year, Festo has reported record sales of €1,200m and is claiming a European market share of 32% - more than twice that of its nearest rival.
In the UK, Festo says its has boosted its revenue by more than 10% in the past year, and has invested 4.5% of its turnover in an improved IT infrastructure.
Festo, a privately owned family business, re-invests around 6.6% of its turnover in research and development. It has recently opened a £27m technology centre in Stuttgart which includes a permanent exhibition as well as r&d facilities.
The company, which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, now has 52 subsidiaries and ten factories around the world. Its product portfolio includes more than 16,400 individual items and several hundred thousand variants.


text:
ESL and ZEN eSports launch new CS:GO league
Introducing the new ZEN eSports League
The Electronic Sports League (ESL) has just released some exciting news at PAX Australia this past weekend! Following the ESL Australia and NZ Championship Season 2 Finals, ESL Australia and ZEN eSports Network will partner together to launch a new Asia-Pacific tournament in 2017.
ESL and ZEN revealed that the league will feature eight total teams, with four hailing from the Oceanic region and four coming from the Asian region. There will be two seasons per year, which will involve a two to three week online season and Local Area Network (LAN) finals.
The tournament will be played on the globally popular Counter-Strike: Global Offensive game.
Two spots from the Oceanic Region have already been claimed. Athletico and Chiefs defeated Immunity and Parallax, respectively, in the semi-finals of the ESL ANZ Season 2 Finals (that just took place at PAX Australia).
Athletico qualifies for the new ZEN league
Thanks to their strong performance at ESL ANZ Finals, Athletico was the first team to qualify. Athletico was first established in 2005 and is based in Australia.
The team developed as a local Counter-Strike powerhouse bolstering a myriad of different player rosters spanning over 10 years. The name endured over 3 different Counter-Strike versions and has achieved in winning a haul of titles, awards and both team and individual success.
Congratulations to @ChiefsESC! Able to take out a 2-0 victory, they not only secure a Grand Final spot, but also a spot in the #ZENLeague! pic.twitter.com/SqlgozELi6
— ESL Australia (@ESLAustralia) November 5, 2016
Chiefs also qualify for the ZEN league
The Chiefs, officially forming in August of 2014, were former members of Team Immunity. Following their 2-0 victory over parallax, Chiefs add another strong team from Australia.
GG, what a game!
Not only qualifying for the Grand Final, @AthleticoBH also have just qualified for a spot in the #ZENLeague! #PAXArena pic.twitter.com/ud72PtddNK
Future details of the new ZEN eSports League
Online qualifiers begin next month, starting on December 4th 2016. The offline qualifier, also known as the Melbourne: Crown Invitational, will begin January 4th 2017.
The first season of the new ZEN league will begin February 4th and continue through April 13th 2017. The prize pool will include over $100,000 in 2017 alone.
Athletico and Chiefs will play in the ESL ANZ Season 2 Finals later today at PAX Australia.
As always, stay tuned to letsplay.live for the latest details as they come forward.
The post ESL and ZEN eSports launch new CS:GO league appeared first on LPL.


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Wes Craig and Toby Cypress introduce a new team of defenders against supernatural monsters and the only thing standing in their way is bureaucratic red tape. 'The Gravediggers Union' is a horror comedy that celebrates the blue-collar warrior in a world threatened by ghosts, vampires, and zombies.
After establishing in the first five pages that these supernatural forces have been in place on earth since the beginning with his own art, artist-writer Craig brings up to date with newscasts that reveal the plight of humans co-existing with these dangers and the role the Union has in it. We see first hand the Union is as invaluable as firefighters in protecting the citizenry. Lead by Cole who's the Danny "I'm too old for this sh*t" Glover of the group along with other veteran gravediggers Ortiz and Haley they battle an onslaught of zombies, vampires, junk golems and a ghost-storm. They have to fight these forces while also instructing their young gravediggers at the same time. Cypress' visuals are kinetic and cartoonish but also beautifully framed when the craziness subsides and Cole addresses his team.
Cole notices the uptick in supernatural activity and is mightily concerned. He needs answers and the frequency of events is running his team ragged and getting more dangerous. It's causing a public health concern and one way to find out why this is happening is to seek the counsel of a witch. Morphea the witch could shed some light on what's going on but because of the charter by-laws, Cole is forbidden to talk to the witch without the approval from his Union chief. This is where the reality of bureaucracy hits and reminds me of 'Ghostbusters' being impeded by EPA agent Walter Peck. The last thing you expect on the threshold of the apocalypse is fighting red tape. But that's what makes this wild new story grounded and amusing because it focuses on the minutia, the details if an agency of blue-collar workers fighting monsters were bound by a Union charter. It also hardens Cole's resolve in getting answers to try to prevent a catastrophic event.
Toby Cypress and Niko Guardia do a tremendous job in bringing this world to life but except for one major monster-fighting sequence most of the comic, an extended issue, is concentrated on the characters and their designs and colors are rooted in earth tones and down to earth locales like a greasy diner. It's a hard hat and lunch pail vision of monster fighters that we haven't seen before.
'The Gravediggers Union' was an unexpected joy to read. Instead of bombarding the reader with the usual onslaught of monsters and violence, Craig and Cypress make this uniquely compelling story about the people in the trenches, the first responders when supernatural phenomena occur. It sets up an unsanctioned meeting, a mysterious amulet, and the impending apocalypse. What more could you want?


The perfect gift for the whiskey lover is his or her own barrel. Choice of 2L or 5L miniature oak barrel with the recipient's name etched into the side. This barrel ages spirits to the peak of flavor, just like its full-sized siblings. Before first use, be sure to cure the barrel for 3-5 days and turn the barrel and taste the contents weekly until reaching their ideal oakiness. Enjoy straight from the tap. Givers can also add a rum or whisky making kit for additional cost. Available from Uncommon Goods.


Facebook is trying to clean up Messenger. The company showed off a new, redesigned version of the app, which is starting to roll out to users now.
The reason for the redesign is what many users have known for years: Messenger, in its current form, is a bloated confusing mess.
Consider this: The current version of the app has nine — yes, nine — tabs. I ignore most of these, so it's easy to forget just how bloated Messenger has become in recent years, but there can't possibly be a good reason for five different tabs that all show you slightly different lists of the same friends.
"We built a lot of capabilities over the years but it's not as simple as the app was in the beginning of our journey," says Stan Chudnovsky, Facebook's VP of Messenger.
The new version of Messenger will try to clean up some of that mess. Instead of nine tabs, there are just three: chats, people, and discover. (Incidentally, this design also makes Messenger look a bit more like Snapchat.) The chats tab is where you can manage your conversations, people is where you view your contact list, and discover is where you find messaging bots and instant games.
But despite the slightly simpler design, Facebook isn't removing any features from the app. Stories, which Facebook says has 300 million monthly users, are still featured prominently, even though the camera feature has been moved to the top of the app.
There are only three tabs in the new version of Messenger.
The company is also adding a few minor new features, like the ability to change the color of your chat bubbles to gradients, and a new dark mode.
Though Chudnovsky disputed that the changes weren't significant, calling it a "new foundational element," he conceded they had a good reason to play it safe. That's because the Messenger team is very aware that its users aren't necessarily the biggest fans of big changes (and some people still haven't forgiven Facebook for forcing the app on them to begin with).
"Changing the UI of something that 1.3 billion people use, that's really hard to do without making a lot of people who are using your app really upset," he said. "That's why big redesigns generally don't happen, or when they do, they don't go well."
That's also why the update will be rolling out slowly to start. Though Facebook says the update will be launching today, it will take some time before everyone sees the changes in full.